Injuries also hampered his spells at Nottingham Forest (27 appearances in two seasons), and Barnsley (where he was mostly used as a substitute), and he struggled to get a run of games in the side. He also had a brief stint with Notts County at the end of the 2000–01 season, scoring once against Wrexham, before returning to Crewe Alexandra where he made his final seventeen appearances as a professional footballer. His return to Crewe was hampered by injuries and he could not stop them losing their 1st Division status at the end of the season, despite scoring twice, against West Brom and Grimsby Town. His final appearance as a professional came in the FA Cup against Rotherham United on 26 January 2002, a game in which he also scored.