Born in Stoke-on-Trent, he began his career with Stoke City, making his senior debut in April 2005. He failed to win a regular first team place however, and had a loan spell at Grimsby Town in the 2006–07 season, before he was allowed to join Scunthorpe United in July 2007. He scored 13 goals in the Championship in the 2007–08 season, and was signed by Burnley for a £1 million fee in June 2008. He scored 19 goals in 57 appearances in the 2008–09 campaign, helping the club to win promotion into the Premier League via the play-offs. Burnley were relegated at the end of the 2009–10 season, and he went on to join Huddersfield Town on a free transfer in June 2013. He had loan spells at Bristol City, Fleetwood Town, and MLS club Orlando City. He was released by Huddersfield and then had a brief spell with Orlando City, before he spent the 2015–16 season with Blackpool. He joined Port Vale for a four-month spell in August 2016, before returning to America to play for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in March 2017. He moved to India in January 2018 to sign for ATK. Throughout his 14-year professional career he scored 78 goals in 339 league and cup appearances.