JASON McAteer must be praying that his career will get back on course sooner rather than later.

Players always say that it is frustrating to sit in the stand when injured, so McAteer must have had his fill by now of sitting out games when fully fit.

However, with the size of modern day squads then someone is always going to have to miss out on a first team place and sadly for the 30-year-old it has been lot in life of late to have a watching brief.

The resurrection of his playing chances have arrived through Rovers current injury problems, but was no doubt helped by his strike for the Republic of Ireland in their crucial World Cup qualifying win over Holland.

The fact that he was in Ireland's plans and not Rovers was probably even more galling to Birkenhead-born McAteer, but when the chance of being in the limelight came along the former Liverpool star showed he is still more than capable of taking his opportunities.

His return to the Rovers first team saw a steady performance against Everton and, if his football is to be played away from Ewood, then he will be hoping that he can at least command a first team place until some club comes in with an offer.

McAteer must be sick of the speculation.

All summer long he was reportedly heading to Manchester City, then Newcastle United and even north of the border to Scottish champions Celtic without any one avenue opening up for him.

Now Sunderland are said to be sniffing and McAteer, who has tunred down the one concrete move that has come along when he said he would prefer Premiership football than first divison action with Preston, will be hoping that for once a firm offer will be made.