Player Profiles 2008-9: Ben Muirhead

And it would be easy to stick Muirhead into that category. For when he joined the club in 06-07 on loan from Bradford City, he was simply magnificent.  He was a right winger who could terrorise the opposition non stop, yet still come back and make the odd crucial tackle.

Not only that, he weighed in with more than his fair share of goals, with three goals coming from twelve appearances - a very healthy return for a winger, and it was hardly surprising that fans were clamouring for Keith Hill to go out and get Muirhead's permanent signature, which Hilly promptly did.

But as a permanent signing, it just didn't click. That spark which had been there the season before was sadly missing, and he looked a shadow of the player that he'd been before. Rumours of issues outside of football may well have contributed to his disappointing season, but he just wasn't the same player that we'd had on loan, and it was hardly surprising when he lost his place in the side to an 18 year old kid from Oldham who had never played out on the wing before.

It wasn't completely doom and gloom. He left fans scratching their heads when he was head and shoulders above anyone when we took on Championship leaders Norwich City, and it was Muirhead who scored the winning penalty to take Dale to Wembley for the very first time.

But it was not enough, and he was transfer listed by Keith Hill at the end of the season. Whilst at the club, he'll always have the opportunity to prove people wrong and reproduce the sort of form we saw from him back in 2006-7 where he must have been the most feared winger in the division.