hiː wʌzɐ pˈɑːpjʊlɚ fˈɪɡjɚɹ æt vˈɪlə pˈɑːɹk, bˌʌt lˈɪmɪɾᵻd fˈɜːst tˈiːm ɑːpɚtˈuːnᵻɾiz sˈɔː hˌɪm mˈuːv tə ðˈɛn sˈɛkənd dᵻvˈɪʒən klˈʌb bˈɑːɹnsli ɪn sɛptˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː, wˌɛɹ hiː skˈoːɹd twˈɛnti fˈoːɹ ɡˈoʊlz ɪn fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv stˈɑːɹts bᵻfˌoːɹ ɐtɹˈæktɪŋ ðɪ ˈɪntɹɛst ʌv hɪz fˈɔːɹmɚ vˈɪlə bˈɔs ɹˈɑːn sˈɔːndɚz æt pɹəmˈoʊʃəntʃˈeɪsɪŋ bˈɜːmɪŋˌæm sˈɪɾi dʒˈʌst bᵻfˌoːɹ kɹˈɪsməs nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ.
He was a popular figure at Villa Park, but limited first team opportunities saw him move to then Second Division club Barnsley in September 1983, where he scored 24 goals in 45 starts before attracting the interest of his former Villa boss Ron Saunders at promotion-chasing Birmingham City just before Christmas 1984.