2006/07 was the season that saw Matt Sparrow finally come of age as a Scunthorpe United player.

Partnering Ian Baraclough in his much-favoured central midfield position during the first half of the campaign, Sparrow was finally fulfilling the promise he showed as a youngster at Glanford Park.

In truth, it was a magnificent 2006 for the Iron's No. 7, having earned himself a brand two-year contract in the summer with some barnstorming performances towards the end of the 2005/06 season which helped his side enjoy their best league position in 42 years.

He got over a bad knee ligament injury at Carlisle in December 2006 to play a vital role in the final promotion run-in and help his side win the League One title at a canter.

He has come a long way from the young nippy winger who made his debut in the Worthington Cup trip to that same ground in 1999. It was in the heat of a Glanford Park injury crisis and young Sparrow impressed on his debut.

He went on to make even more of an impression during the 1999/2000 season, with his next appearance coming in the 1-0 win at Colchester United, and he went on to make 11 more during that campaign.

It was the back end of the following season, after a six-month lay-off on the sidelines, that Sparrow started to come of age.

He burst back onto the scene in the clash against Torquay United at Plainmoor on Saturday 3rd March 2001, and he netted two ever so important goals in a 2-0 win to help take United out of a bad slump and help them on a late surge for the play-offs.

He also netted in the following game, which was at home to Brighton three days later, and in the 3-0 home win over Carlisle United a month later.

Another lay-off meant Sparrow's start to the following campaign was delayed, but when he did get back into action he came into an in-form United side and netted another invaluable goal in the 3-2 win at Luton Town in February 2002.

It was his only strike of the season, but it was yet another brilliant one.

2002/03 saw Sparrow take full flight, playing a prominent role in the Scunthorpe midfield and scoring eight goals as United managed to make the play-offs for the first time since the 1998/99 promotion season. Arguably the pick of those goals came in the 2-0 home win over Swansea City in November 2002, while his brace in the thumping 3-1 home victory against Hull City wasn't forgotten in a hurry!

The team struggled through injuries and a paper-thin squad the following year, but Sparrow was still one of Scunthorpe's shining lights - netting four times, including a stunner in Russ Wilcox's first game in caretaker charge of the club against Leyton Orient.

The 2004/05 promotion year saw Sparrow play a prominent role - scoring on six different occasions. He scored against Rochdale on the opening day of the season, and also netted a valuable goal in the televised 2-0 FA Cup second round win over Wrexham.

Then, in 2005/06, Sparrow took very well to the tougher challenge in League One and scored five goals - with two spectacular ones in succession against Gillingham and Port Vale respectively at the end of February.

When fit, Matt is one of the first names on the team sheet and has become an integral part of the team's 'engine room'.