CITY striker Jamie Cureton has joined Barnsley in a three-month emergency loan deal.

First-team opportunities have been limited for Cureton this season, with three starts and 12 appearances off the bench. Leading scorer last season with 14 league and cup goals in 45 appearances, he has failed to find the net so far in this campaign.

Having started his professional career at Norwich in 1993, he moved on for stints at Bournemouth, Bristol Rovers, Reading, Busan I'cons in South Korea, QPR, Swindon and Colchester before rejoining the Canaries in June 2007. He won the Championship Golden Boot with Colchester in the 2006-07 season, netting 24 goals.

In his two spells with Norwich he has made a total of 92 appearances for the first team scoring 20 goals. He was a prolific scorer for City at Youth and Reserve team level before progressing to the senior ranks under Mike Walker. It was Walker's successor John Deehan who gave Jamie his debut against Everton in November 1994.

There is a 24-hour recall clause in the deal with Barnsley after 28 days of Cureton's loan spell has elapsed.

City boss Glenn Roeder commented: "Jamie asked to go out on loan about a month ago. At that time it didn't suit us to let him go, but understandably in the last month he has become frustrated by the lack of first-team starts and he also feels that Arturo Lupoli is ahead of him in the first team picture.

"As a result he feels he needs to get a move in order to get some first team football and he now has that opportunity for the next three months with Barnsley. Jamie did well for the Club last year in a very difficult time for the Club and we will just have to wait and see what happens long-term when the three months is up."

Jamie will not be able to feature for Barnsley in the FA Cup, or when the Tykes visit Carrow Road on January 17 in the Championship.