By Phil Tooley

Striker Colin Larkin looked sharp when he came on as a sub for his Spireites debut against Rotherham and he has continued to look a good acquisition subsequently, his skill and vision set up Derek Niven for a goal at Oldham on his full debut. They may have been disappointing results against Huddersfield and Tranmere, but it was plain to see the Irishman's match fitness improving and, against Bournemouth, a crisp finish to put us 1-0 up followed by a great steal and set up for The Chief proved that the ex Stag was 100% fit and had become a great asset to the squad.

After a career that has had more than its fair share of niggling injuries, does the Irishman agree that he's now 100% fit and raring to go? "I'm fully fit now, I didn't play a lot in pre-season but the sharpness is back now."

Born in Dundalk on 27^th April 1982, it wasn't necessarily through choice that Colin started playing football! "My Dad forced me to start playing when I was about six years old and I was playing with boys who were a couple of years older than me, which I think helped me. As a kid, watching my older brother play also got me into the game, I enjoyed it all so I tended to do it more than other things." Like many lads from the Irish Republic, there was plenty of choice when it came to sport, "I played every sport and Gaelic football was probably my first love but once I started to realise that I was good at football, then Gaelic had to come second. I never played Hurling though, I steered well away from that, you need your head testing to play that!"

So how did he come to the notice of Wolverhampton Wanderers, his first club in England? "I went up to Coleraine to play in the Milk Cup for three years on the trot with Dundalk U14's, U15's and U16's, Alan O'Hare was in that team as well, we had an excellent team and we played the likes of Sunderland, Brondby, and Middlesbrough and we beat every one of them, we were only a local side. There were lots of scouts there and they approached me to go for trials, Wolves was the first place I went and after my first trial they offered me a three year contract which I accepted straight away."

Colin got his name into the papers early on in his time at Molineux, he was a sub against Wycombe Wanderers in the League Cup and, in the 64^th minute, along with current Carlisle boss Paul Simpson, he came on as a sub for Steve Corica with Wolves trailing 3-0. His impact was almost instantaneous. "I was seventeen when I made my debut and after five minutes I'd scored. I remember everything about that goal, I started the move off, the ball got played in, I flicked it wide to Andy Sinton and when he crossed it I volleyed it in at the far post. We were losing 3-0 but I ran off celebrating and we were still losing 3-1! We came close to almost drawing that night but it just wasn't to be. I started the next game and then I was unlucky with a few injuries then, being such a big Club, desperate to get into the Premiership, and being a young lad I was told I wasn't experienced enough so they bought some strikers like Ade Akinbiyi, George Ndah, Michael Branch and Robert Taylor, al Million Pound buys, so they weren't going to pay £1m and sit the players on the bench so I got pushed out and ended up going on loan to Kidderminster, which I thoroughly enjoyed."

That season's long loan spell came in2001-02, he'd made a couple more sub appearances for Wolves in the previous season, both several months apart, so he jumped at the chance to add to his experience at Aggborough. "Jan Molby was manager at Kiddy, he played me on the right wing, I enjoyed it and had a good season scoring seven goals in thirty odd appearances but the most important thing for me was the first team football."

The Irishman's opening goal for Harriers was in a 1-0 win at Macclesfield Town and his second was also an away winner, at Doncaster in the LDV, a competition that saw Colin taste Saltergate for the first time as we beat Kidderminster thanks to David Reeves' Golden Goal winner on the night Thomas Hitzlsperger made his Spireites bow.

After a good season in Worcestershire, it was back to Molineux, but not for long. "When I got back to Wolves I found out that Mansfield Town had made an offer and Hull City had made an offer as well, Molby had moved there as Manager and he wanted to take me there but they didn't offer enough money and Mansfield were desperate to sign me. I knew then that I needed to play if I was going to make a career in football." So off to Field Mill where he made a great start, scoring on his debut in a home win over Plymouth Argyle before bagging a brace at Wigan Athletic in his second game, though The Stags lost that one, 3-2. His fourth match saw Chesterfield win 2-0 at Mansfield, not a bad day I seem to remember!

However, the niggling injuries struck again, "I scored three in the first two games, but in the first season I didn't have a lot of luck with injuries, hamstrings mainly, the second season I suffered hamstrings problems again and last season I got off to a flyer and I finished the season with 11 goals but I had appendicitis at Christmas and a slight tear on my thigh towards the end of the season. My left hamstring gave me the most problems, I ended up having 30-odd injections in that but since then, it's not come back. As a footballer you tend to get a few niggles but you just have to get your head down and work hard."

After the 7 goals in his first season with Mansfield he bagged 8 in the second campaign and, as Colin said, 11, his pace and close control being his main weapons, though, after Carlton Palmer took over the reigns at Field Mill, injuries and being out of favour always made it look like he'd be moving on this summer, and we're pleased to have him here at Saltergate. But what does he feel is his best position after spending time both wide and up front?

"I'm definitely a striker, but if the team's struggling with injuries I'd play in goal if I had to, I don't care as long as I'm playing, but I definitely prefer to play up front."

We can all see why!