Having begun his career at Crewe Alexandra in 1993, he moved to Liverpool in 1997, where he won a treble of the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001. During his time at Liverpool he scored the winning goal against arch rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in three Premier League games, each a 1–0 win. After brief spells at Charlton Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur he joined Fulham, which he helped reach the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final, and ended his career at Blackburn Rovers. He served as captain at his last two clubs.