FORMER Premiership star Andy Campbell has written to York City requesting a chance to rebuild his career.

Campbell, who is only 27, has been on trial this summer with Wycombe and Halifax, but has asked City boss Billy McEwan for an opportunity at KitKat Crescent and played in last night's 2-0 defeat against Darlington as a trialist.

The 5ft 11in striker, whose elder brother Neil began his career with the Minstermen in 1995, left Dunfermline at the end of last season after a spell with League Two strugglers Oxford United following his release by Cardiff City.

But, just four years ago, Campbell (pictured left) cost the Bluebirds £950,000 after leaving Middlesbrough.

He went on to score the only goal of the game as Cardiff clinched promotion to the Championship in the 2003 League One play-off final at the Millennium Stadium against QPR.

Prior to his move to Wales, he had also spent the last seven years playing alongside and competing for a starting place with the likes of Fabrizio Ravanelli, Paul Merson and Alen Boksic at the Riverside Stadium.

Campbell played 49 games in the Premiership and scored seven times for Boro, including a goal during a 2-0 FA Cup victory over Manchester United in January 2002.

He was also loaned out to Bolton and Sheffield United before completing a permanent move to Cardiff, but has failed to net in his last 30 games since he got on the scoresheet for Cardiff in a 2-2 draw at Preston in April 2004.

But the flame-haired forward is now hoping to resurrect his career and McEwan said: "He's out of work and we are short up front so, after he wrote me a letter, we have decided to have a look at him.

"We only met before the match and I think he needs to be at a club where he gets some proper training inside him rather than spending a week here and there. He's got ability and there's no way a player of his calibre should be messing around at this stage of the season looking for a job."

Campbell, who is short of match practice, struggled to make an impact in City's three-pronged strikeforce during a friendly that was played at an impressively high tempo and in a competitive manner.

City full-backs Darren Craddock and Nathan Peat were both cautioned for rash first-half challenges while former City striker Barry Conlon was lucky not to see at least yellow earlier for a two-footed challenge on Neal Bishop.

Darlington went ahead on 33 minutes when the impressive Martin Smith struck a low perfectly-controlled volley past Tom Evans having been left completely unmarked 15 yards out from Craig James' corner.

The visitors doubled their lead on the stroke of half time when Smith beat a hesitant Evans to the ball but saw his lob rebound off the bar only for Conlon to find an empty net.

City finished the game strongly, led by Clayton Donaldson and skipper Manny Panther. Donaldson struck the post with a fierce drive and Craig Farrell saw a looping header strike the bar.

Sam Russell then dived low to his left to save a Mark Convery penalty after Donaldson had been tripped.

City: Evans, Craddock (Greenwood, 70) McGurk, Dudgeon, Peat (Lloyd, 62), Convery, Panther, Bishop, Donaldson, Farrell, Campbell (Webster, 70).

Darlington: Russell, Collins, James, Martis (Johnson, 70), Hutchinson (Holloway, 46), Keltie, Ngoma (Wainwright, 73), Giallanza, Smith (C Logan, 70), Conlon (Close, 70), Duke.

Attendance: 598.