Steve began his career in the Premiership with Tottenham Hotspur, coming through the youth ranks at White Hart Lane, and he made his first-team debut in a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on October 30th 1993. Steve also featured in the North London derby during that season, as Tottenham drew 1-1 at Highbury with Arsenal, Ian Wright netting for the Gunners and Darren Anderton scoring for Spurs. It was, however, players of the calibre of Darren Anderton and Nick Barmby that limited Steve's first-team opportunities, and he was loaned out to Leyton Orient in the following season, the 1994-95 campaign to gain experience.

However, he failed to feature again in Tottenham's first-team and on returning to White Hart Lane, he was allowed to leave, and joined AFC Bournemouth on a free transfer on October 20th 1994. He became a regular in the Bournemouth side during the remainder of that season and he netted 5 goals in 32 League appearances in his first season at Dean Court.

Steve did very well in the following season, too. After playing in Bournemouth's midfield for most of the early part of the 1995-96 season, Steve spent the rest of the campaign alternating between midfield and acting as a striking partner for Steve Jones, looking comfortable in both positions. However, Steve did prefer the striking role, finishing the season with 9 goals in all competitions, and he was always full of running, his work rate being excellent. Having been a Northern Ireland U-21 international, he earned his first cap at 'B' team level during the season.

Steve appeared in several positions in Bournemouth's midfield during the 1996-97 season, as well as having a spell as a striker. In showing his abilities in all of these positions and, at the same time, gaining international recognition with Northern Ireland at both 'B' team level and full level, his first full cap earned, he proved to be a very busy player who was able to run with the ball as well as score his quota of goals. He ended the season with a total of 40 League appearances, and 7 goals.

Steve played the majority of the 1997-98 season in the centre of Bournemouth's midfield, but he was also employed on the left and right-hand sides of midfield, looking comfortable in all of these positions. As an attacking midfielder, and a good finisher, having been the club's leader scorer during the season with 13 goals, he continued to be on the fringes of the Northern Ireland squad, making yet another 'B' team appearances, this time against the Republic Of Ireland.

Steve had his best season for the Cherries in terms of his goal scoring exploits during the 1998-99 season, as he netted 16 goals, 13 of them in the League, including one in a 2-2 draw at Kenilworth Road against Luton. He also netted braces on two occasions during the season, in a 5-0 home win over Burnley and a 2-0 home win over Wycombe.

His goal scoring pedigree was now alerting the attention of several other clubs, and his reputation as a goal scoring midfielder was now also earning him real recognition at full international level as he was capped twice during the 1999-00 season by Northern Ireland in a 3-1 win at Luxembourg and a 0-1 home defeat to Hungary. He also continued to perform amicably for Bournemouth, scoring 10 goals during the season, 9 of them in the League from 40 League appearances.

It was to be his final season with Bournemouth as David Moyes, manager of First Division Preston North End, paid £375,000 to sign Steve in May 2000. He mad his debut for the Lillywhites as a substitute at Grimsby on the opening day of the 2000-01 season. Although better known as a high-scoring attacking midfielder, his first League start for Preston came as a makeshift striker against Tranmere, and he continued in this role for three matches. After spells as a regular substitute and again as an emergency striker, he netted his first goal for the club direct from a free-kick at Wimbledon. He would have been hoping for a regular place in the starting line-up following the transfer of midfielder Michael Appleton to WBA, but knee and ankle injuries effectively ended a rather frustrating first season at Deepdale for Steve early.

Unfortunately, the 2001-02 season was even worse for Steve as the continued good form of Mark Rankine and Sean Gregan in the Preston midfield kept him on the substitutes bench. Paul McKenna had also matured as a player, and these factors, along with bad luck on the injury front, meant that Steve had hardly got a shout during his first season at the club. Just when Steve might have thought that he would finally get a chance in the side, Michael Keane, Brian Barry-Murphy and Eric Skora pushed ahead of him in the pecking order at Deepdale.

Eventually, the former Northern Ireland international decided to hand in a transfer request and the signings of midfielders Dickson Etuhu and Thordar Gudjonsson were the final straw for Steve, who had been linked with moves to numerous clubs, including Blackpool.

Now the forgotten man of Deepdale, Steve joined Bristol City on loan in March 2002, playing in 6 League matches for the Robins, and netting his first goal in a 3-3 draw with eventually promoted Reading at Ashton Gate.

However, on returning to Deepdale, manager David Moyes had left to become the new boss of Premiership Everton, and Preston appointed former Scotland national manager Craig Brown as the new boss. Despite offering to wipe the slate clean and offer Steve as equal a chance as the other players, Steve decided to head for pastures new, and signed for Luton.

Steve endured what many Luton supporters believed to be a disappointing season during the 2002-03 campaign. As a new arrival from Preston North End, there were high hopes for Steve, but he never really fulfilled the promise that had been anticipated on his arrival. However, this may well have been down to the fact that he spent the entire season (when fit) operating on the right-wing, when his preferred position is as a central midfielder.

He made his debut on the opening day of the season in a 2-3 home defeat to Peterborough United, and he was always included in the squad by manager Joe Kinnear when available.

The problem for many Hatters fans was that they expected Steve to score goals from midfield, as he had had a good record of finding the net during his time with AFC Bournemouth. However, during his 29 League appearances during the season (6 of those as a substitute), he only netted a single goal, and that coming from the penalty spot in a 3-0 home victory over Swindon Town in late September.

Always a regular member of the squad, despite his indifferent form, he was injured in mid-March and it forced him to miss the remainder of the campaign.

He was, however, still on the international scene, and Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy included him on the standby list for a couple of international matches during the season.

With his 2002-03 season cut short by injury, and with his form certainly not as good as it could have been, Steve was hoping that he could show the Luton supporters exactly what he was capable of during the forthcoming season, under the guidance of a new manager, Mike Newell - and he certainly did that.

Steve had an excellent 2003-04 season that saw him firmly establish himself as a pivotal member of the side – and playing in his preferred position of central midfield.

Having previously been employed as a right-winger by the Hatters, it was evident pretty soon after he was moved into a central role that he had been playing out-of-position.

He missed the opening two months of the campaign through injury, his first appearance of the season coming in a 2-2 draw at Swindon Town at the beginning of October 2003.

He was, thereafter, a regular in the side when available for selection and he became a firm favourite with manager Mike Newell and the supporters.

He netted three goals during the season, his first-ever League goal for the club coming in a 3-2 home win over Wrexham in mid-November 2003 and in early December, he netted two goals in three matches when firing home in a 2-0 FA Cup Second Round win at Rochdale and with a superb long-range goal in a 1-0 win at Blackpool – the strike earning him Luton Town's Goal of the Season award.

He made a total of 40 appearances in all competitions for the Hatters during the season and he gave the club a big boost by signing a new two-year deal during the summer of 2004 – on the same day that another vital member of the side, Chris Coyne, penned a new contract with the club.

Steve was also described as a player "I very much like" by new chairman Bill Tomlins when he arrived in June 2004 and Steve showed his dedication to the club by turning down a contract offer from Bristol City to sign his new deal with Luton Town.

Steve had an excellent 2004-05 season as he played a major role in Luton Town storming to the League One Championship.

Almost always playing in the centre of the Hatters midfield alongside skipper Kevin Nicholls when available, Steve played in 31 of Luton’s 46 League matches during the campaign, only missing games through either injury or suspensions.

Adding a drive to his game, he looked a much better player in his favoured central midfield position than he did playing as a right-winger as he had done upon joining the club under the then manager Joe Kinnear.

His neat passing, ability to get into the box and his busy, creative style made the £50,000 Kinnear had paid Preston North End two years previously look a real bargain.

He netted four goals during the course of the season in victories at Barnsley and Stockport County and in home wins over Wrexham and Brentford, the latter coming with almost the last kick of the game in the final home match of what was a memorable season at Kenilworth Road.

Having formed an excellent partnership in the centre of the Hatters midfield with Kevin Nicholls, Steve went into the forthcoming 2005-06 season as a Championship player and with the knowledge that his fine form for Luton had earned him international recognition for Northern Ireland along with team mate Warren Feeney.

Steve had another solid and productive season with Luton Town during the 2005-06 campaign, his neat passing and ability to support the front men helping the Hatters to a 10th placed finish in their first season back in the Championship.

Once again a regular fixture in manager Mike Newell’s side when available for selection, and usually operating alongside skipper Kevin Nicholls when the pair were both fit, Steve missed three large chunks of the season through injury, a real dent to the Hatters’ promotion hopes.

Arguably one of the unsung heroes of Luton’s side, Steve’s fine form at the beginning of the season, where he helped the Hatters to a scintillating start, saw him return to the international fold with Northern Ireland where he made a substitute appearance – alongside fellow Luton team mate Warren Feeney – as Northern Ireland beat Azerbaijan 2-0 in a 2006 World Cup Qualifier. He was also an unused substitute as Northern Ireland stunned the football world by beating England 1-0 in a 2006 World Cup Qualifier.

Making 26 League appearances during the course of the season, Steve missed a month out through injury in October 2005 and another two months in January 2006 after picking up an injury in a thrilling 3-5 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool in front of the BBC television cameras. Scoring in that match – arguably one of the best Luton goals of the season – Steve netted with a fine turn past England star Jamie Carragher and then a precise strike into the bottom corner past England goalkeeper Scott Carson. Described as a “Goal of real quality” by the BBC television pundit Mark Lawrenson, Steve is certainly capable of producing moments of magic like that.

His 2 League goals during the season came with a delicate chip in a 3-0 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion on a bitterly cold December evening at Kenilworth Road, and in a 1-1 draw at the Withdean Stadium in the return fixture in March 2006.

An established member of Luton Town manager Mike Newell’s side once more during the early part of the 2006-07 season, Steve also captained the side for a large part of the campaign with regular club captain Chris Coyne out injured.

Always in the centre of Newell’s midfield when available for selection, Steve was rewarded with a new contract that tied him to the club until the summer of 2009, the Northern Ireland midfielder signing the new deal in early January 2007 on the same day as fellow Hatter Ahmet Brkovic inked a new contract.

However, he was unable to help the Hatters avoid relegation to League One as Newell was sacked and his replacement, Luton-born Kevin Blackwell, could not prevent a weak Luton side from dropping out of the Championship.

Steve had a rather disappointing 2007-08 season for Luton Town as he was unable to recapture the excellent form he had shown during the 2004-05 League One title-winning season.

In a season that was arguably the worst in the Hatters' history, Steve was a regular in the centre of the midfield, usually partnering Matthew Spring, but he was unable to prevent Luton from finishing bottom of League One and suffering relegation to League Two.

He featured regularly in the centre of midfield under manager Kevin Blackwell and scored his first - and only - goal of the season with a fine volley from the edge of the area in a 3-1 League Cup Third Round win over Championship side Charlton Athletic in September 2007.

A regular goal scorer earlier in his career for former club AFC Bournemouth, Steve's game seems to have changed a lot as he has become older, changing from an attacking central midfielder to more of a holding type player.

Criticised by some Hatters fans during the season for his relatively poor form, it could be argued that Steve was in a very weak Luton Town side and that his ability was backed up by the fact that he was a key member of the 2004-05 League One title-winning team - not to mention a Northern Ireland international.

However, as Luton struggled to impress under Blackwell, the Hatters were hit further by going into administration in November 2007, and as a result were docked 10 League points. Dropping into the relegation zone, the Hatters could never recover and, after the administrator sold key players Chris Coyne and David Edwards, manager Kevin Blackwell left the club.

Incoming boss, Luton legend Mick Harford, was well aware of Steve's qualities after coaching him during his previous spells at Kenilworth Road. Continuing to feature under Harford initially, Steve was then dropped to the substitutes bench and replaced by Stephen O'Leary. He ended the season with 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring 1 goal.

Seemingly deemed surplus to requirements by Harford - who has to cut the wage budget drastically - Steve was one of six players transfer-listed and made available on a free transfer at the end of the 2007-08 season, the list including goalkeeper Marlon Beresford, another key member of the 2004-05 League One title-winning side.

Having played football in the Championship for Luton Town just two years previously, Steve was a member of a Hatters squad that had suffered two successive relegations.

In the summer of 2008, Steve was one of six players handed a free transfer by manager Mick Harford. Steve subsequently agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent in July 2008 after six years at Kenilworth Road and 211 appearances and 12 goals in all competitions for Luton Town.