WHILE Shaun Goater looks forward to the new season and proving himself in the Premier League, fellow Bermudian professional Kyle Lightbourne just wants to prove himself. . .period!

Lightbourne's season was interrupted first by an ankle injury and then cut short by a shoulder injury while on loan at Hull City recently after being transfer-listed by Macclesfield Town. The 33-year-old striker will be trying prove he still has goals in him when the new season begins, possibly the most critical of his career. In the meantime he faces a summer of uncertainty.

"I have to wait until the pre-season and go from there," said Lightbourne who is coming up to his 10th anniversary as a professional in England. Released by his first club, Scarborough, in 1993 after a change of managers, Lightbourne rebounded at Walsall where he enjoyed his most productive years, scoring 76 goals in his last three seasons, including leading the club's scoring with 25 in his final season. Premiership side Coventry City took notice and snapped him up in the summer of 1997.

Lightbourne failed to establish himself at Coventry where he found himself competing against top strikers which included Goater's strike partner, Darren Huckerby, who is going back to the Premiership with Manchester City.

"He's got a lot of pace and is maturing into a good quality player," said Lightbourne of Huckerby.

"He did well for Coventry in the Premiership and four years on he's got more experience and is probably at his peak at this present moment."

Lightbourne first went on loan to Fulham, where he played briefly under Kevin Keegan, before signing for Stoke City.

Walsall tried everything in their power to keep Lightbourne at Bescot Stadium where the fans adored him and nicknamed him 'Killer'. And despite the fact that he hasn't had a 20-goal season since he left the club, Lightbourne doesn't have any regrets about leaving when he did.

"I don't have any regrets, I thought it was the right time for me to leave Walsall," he said. "Probably what I should have done was stick it out at Coventry a little longer. I wasn't being forced out or anything like that, it was just that a few clubs were interested in me at the time and as a footballer you want to be playing first team football.

"Looking back I probably should have stayed and fought for a position."

Lightbourne has played for about a dozen managers in the 10 years he has been in England. He has also played for nine clubs, including the likes of Fulham, Swindon, Cardiff and Hull on loan.

The recent shoulder injury - a badly bruised AC joint - ended his loan spell at Hull and now he is back at Macclesfield having the injury treated. He is uncertain where he will be next season.

Hull tried to sign him at the start of last season when he opted instead to join Macclesfield, and a recent change of manager with Jan Molby coming in does not hold any guarantee that the club will be interested in a permanent move during the summer.

"I had one game when he (Molby) was in charge and that's the game I got injured," said Lightbourne.

"I spoke to him after the match but it wasn't anything to do with a contract.

"The shoulder injury is not going to be right for another week or so and the season will be over then. With them signing a new manager I don't know if anything is going to happen at Hull for next season.

"The team had been on a bit of a losing streak and was looking for someone to come in and help them out because they still saw a chance of making the playoffs. I played quite well in games but we didn't get the results which is the most important thing."

Lightbourne still has one year left on his contract at Macclesfield. What he wants more is to be free from injuries.

"The last season at Stoke and this year has been like that for me as far as picking up injuries," he said.

"This year I had an injury that I thought was going to be one or two weeks and I was out for three months, missing a large part of the season. Then I get a chance to play games and get injured again.

"The injuries are coming from tackles, it's not like I'm pulling muscles. I'll be 34 in the first month after the season starts and it's not getting any easier, but I still feel I have a lot to offer.

"I've had 10 years out here and it is difficult at times.I look around and see that a lot of players my age are no longer in the football league so that gives me some encouragement to still be playing in the league."