Club career
Elliott began his career as a youth player with Belvedere[1] and Stella Maris.[2]
[edit]Manchester City
He began his professional career as a youth player at Manchester City after impressing in a trial match with Stella Maris in which he scored five goals in the space of half an hour.[3] His league debut came on 21 February 2004 when Kevin Keegan used him as a late substitute in a 3–1 win at Bolton Wanderers.[4] He failed to establish himself in the first team, making only one further appearances as a substitute,[5] with his development at City hampered by a serious back injury that ruled him out for a season.[3]
[edit]Sunderland
Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy signed him from Manchester City on 1 June 2004[6] for an initial fee of £125,000, set by a tribunal,[7] with well over £250,000 of additional payments linked to his subsequent performance at the Black Cats of around £100,000 if Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League; £50,000 if he played in a competitive game for the Republic of Ireland; five installments of £20,000 for each set of ten appearances he made for Sunderland up to a maximum of 50 games; and 25% of any sell-on transfer fees.[8] McCarthy later admitted that he had bought him outrageously cheaply, although that was before all of the above add-ons were ultimately realised.[9] He made his debut on 7 August against Coventry in their 2-0 defeat,[10] with his first goal for the club coming on 10 August against Crewe Alexandra, scoring the winner in their 3-1 win.[11] He quickly established himself as first-team regular, making 47 appearances scoring 16 goals in his debut season[12] as the team finished as champions in 2005, helping him win the clubs young player of the season award.[5] And in July 2005 he signed a contract extension extending his stay until 2008.[13]
However, his first Premiership season was largely disrupted by injury,[3] only managing 15 appearances[14] although prior to his injuries he scored two long-range goals against Manchester United[15] and Newcastle United.[16]
On Sunderland's return to the Championship the following season, he showed good form when fit, but again was disrupted by an ankle injury which kept him out for two months.[17] In all he made 88 appearances for Sunderland scoring 23 goals.[18]
[edit]Wolverhampton Wanderers
Elliott moved to Wolves in July 2007 for an undisclosed fee signing a three year contract,[19] linking up with Mick McCarthy, his former manager at Sunderland.[20] He made his debut on 11 August 2007 in their 2-1 defeat to Watford,[21] going on to score his first goal for the club on 15 September scoring the opening goal against Sheffield United.[22] However, he failed to make a strong impact at Molineux, and was transfer-listed at the season's end after the club missed out on the play-offs on goal difference.[23]
He made one more appearance for wolves the following season in the Carling Cup against Rotherham.[24] In all he made 32 appearances for Wolves scoring 5 times.[18]
[edit]Preston North End
On 1 September 2008, Elliot signed for Championship side Preston North End on a three year deal for an undisclosed fee.[25] He made his debut as a substitute on 16 September against Nottingham Forest,[26] going on to score his first goal for the club on 18 October Reading, with the winning goal in their 2-1 win.[27]He scored a brace against his former team Wolves at Molineux in their 3-1 win in January.[28] He was to form a partnership with Jon Parkin in Preston's attack.[29] In his debut season he made 39 appearances scoring 6 times.[30]
The following season he made 13 appearances scoring twice[31] before falling out of favour and In March 2010 he joined Norwich on loan.[32] On his return on 7 August[33] he negotiated an early release from his Preston contract.[34]
[edit]Norwich City (loan)
On 6 March 2010, Elliot signed on an emergency loan deal with Norwich City until the end of the season and was given the number 11 shirt.[35] He made his debut on 6 March 2010 against Yeovil in League One,[36] scoring his first goals for the club the following week, scoring a brace against Huddersfield in their 3-1 win.[37] In all he made 10 appearances scoring twice.[31]
[edit]Heart of Midlothian
On 9 August 2010 Elliott joined Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian on a two-year deal,[38] reuniting him with former strike partner at Sunderland Kevin Kyle.[39] He made his debut as a 66th minute substitute on 14 August against St Johnstone at Tynecastle,[40] going on to make his first start on 7 November against rivals Hibernian in the first Edinburgh Derby of the season scoring the second goal in a 2–0 victory for Hearts.[41] He scored his first home goal for the club on 10 December to make the score 3–0 in a 5–0 victory against Aberdeen.[42] Despite a hamstring injury that put him out for a month,[43] he made 31 appearances scoring 8 goals in his debut season.[44]
Elliott become renowned for his crucial goals away from home. Of his eight goals for Hearts in his debut season, seven came away from home[44] including doubles at Hamilton in a 2-0 win,[45][46] and at Kilmarnock in a 2-1 victory, the latter coming after Elliott had come off the substitutes bench for the second half to reverse a 1-0 deficit.[47] Elliott scored an equalising goal in the 83rd minute of the third Edinburgh derby of the season, earning Hearts a 2–2 draw despite having played for over an hour with 10 men.[48]
He made his European debut on 28 July 2011 in a Europa League qualifier against Paksi.[49] Elliott helped Hearts win the 2011–12 Scottish Cup; he started in the 2012 Scottish Cup Final, which Hearts won 5–1 against Hibernian. Days later, Hearts announced that Elliott's contract would not be renewed.
[edit]Coventry City
On 2 July 2012 Elliott joined Football League One side Coventry City on a one-year deal after his Heart of Midlothian contract had expired.[50]
[edit]International career
He has represented Ireland at U-17 level,[51] U-19[52], the U-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship,[53] where he was their top goalscorer, and the Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team where he made 10 appearances scoring 6 times.[54]
Elliott's good start for Sunderland in 2004 led to a call-up to the Republic of Ireland, and he made his international debut against Croatia at Lansdowne Road on 16 November 2004.[55] He scored his first senior International goal to beat Cyprus 1–0 in a World Cup qualifier on 8 October 2005.[56] In all he made 9 appearances for Ireland at full international level.[57] He has yet to play under head coach Giovanni Trapattoni who was appointed in 2008.[58]
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