Stephen Quinn signs six-month deal with Burton Albion

Republic of Ireland International Stephen Quinn has signed a six-month deal with League One side Burton Albion after having spent the last few weeks training with the club.

Quinn, 32, had been a free agent since leaving Reading at the start of the summer. The midfielder had made just two League Cup appearances for the Championship side in his third campaign at the club with a couple of lengthy spells spent on the sidelines due to injury.

“I finished at Reading at the end of last season and I just didn’t know where to go with it,” he told the Burton club website.

“I was frustrated at the lack of games I played at Reading due to injury. My body just needed the time off to heal. I had the time off over the summer to get the body right, and get that buzz and love for the game back again.

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“I’ve come down here and certainly got that. I contacted the club to see if I could get fit and train. I’ve done well enough in training that the manager sees something in me still, and he’s offered me the deal.”

Quinn had spells in the Premier League with both Sheffield United and Hull City but has not featured for Ireland since coming on in the 70th minute of the World Cup qualifier away to Serbia in October 2016.

"He'll bring ability, experience and I think more than anything that strength to do the right thing at the right time," says Burton boss Nigel Clough.

“When you’ve played at the highest level as he has done, internationally as well, you have that mental strength to know what the right thing is at the right time and do it for the majority of the game. He brings that mental toughness.

“We’ve always liked him as a player and we’ve watched him over the years. He’s a combative midfielder but he’s got ability on the ball as well.”