Despite having to overcome various injury setbacks there is no denying that Andy Butler is still a very important part of the Iron squad.

Making his debut as an untried 18-year-old in a Third Division game at Leyton Orient in October 2003, Butler handled the Orient attack extremely well and as a result has become a huge fans favourite at Glanford Park.

He was one of the few bright spots in the awful 2003/04 season (signing a four year contract midway through it), and in summer 2004 ex-Iron manager Brian Laws brought in an experienced senior pro to partner him in Andy Crosby. Following the arrival of 'Crozzer' the following season, Butler never looked back, seeing his game come on in leaps and bounds as he helped form a solid rearguard which played a prominent part in the promotion from League Two

He showed in his 18 months that he has a knack of getting forward and scoring hugely important goals. Superb at heading the ball, it's no surprise to see Butler up for near enough every set-piece and proving to be the threat that he is, whenever he's on the pitch - cue the chant "der der der der Andy Butler", a favourite of the home terrace whenever United have an attacking set-piece when Butler is on the field.

After a man of the match display in the FA Cup third round tie at Chelsea in January 2005, Blues boss Jose Mourinho explained how he thought Butler had enough quality to be a top Portugese Premier League player.

During that successful season Butler scored hugely important goals, which won games against Lincoln, Yeovil and Rushden, also popping up with other vital strikes as the Iron flew high for the whole campaign. He also came back from a serious injury towards the end of that season, to play a starring role in our final surge.

The player, who was recognized with four different kinds of honours at the 2004/05 Iron player of the season awards, is a real gem and a huge fans favourite. His reputation become so good that the player was linked in the national press with £1m moves to Manchester City, West Brom and Wigan in the summer of 2005. QPR were also rumoured to had made a substantial offer for the defender.

2005/06 didn't go so well for the player, though, as a string of injuries took their toll. The biggest blow for Butler in a frustrating campaign came at Bristol City at the beginning of last January, at a point when he was beginning to find the form that made him one of the hottest properties in the lower leagues.

Butler had to leave Ashton Gate on crutches after being forced out of the action shortly after half-time and Laws was left frustrated. He said: "Fingers-crossed the injury is not a serious one, but we will have to wait and see once he has been properly examined. He's not having much luck at the moment. He was just getting back to form and this has happened. I really can't say how serious his injury will turn out to be, but the fact he left the game on Saturday on crutches is not a good sign."

And he was correct, Butler was ruled out for the rest of the season after it had being such a stop-start one, in which he netted just the once against Oldham Athletic at Glanford Park.More woe was to come this pre-season when the defender dislocated his shoulder in the pre-season friendly victory over Championship outfit Leeds United.

He was out until the start of October 2006, when he made a loan move to Grimsby Town in an effort to boost his match fitness. He made five appearances for the Mariners before returning to Glanford Park and has since featured on the bench quite often. The magnificent form of the Iron's defence meant it wasn't possible for him to reclaim his first team place so soon, but towards the end of the season when injuries and suspensions took their toll he appeared in the team - scoring a vital match in the match against Tranmere, a win that all but clinched the League One title.

With Steve Foster now gone, Butler has a great chance to reclaim his spot in the first team.