[7] He intermittently featured in the Blackburn first team during this time, including in a match against Liverpool in October 2004 when his challenge resulted in a broken leg for Djibril Cissé.

[11][12] As he struggled to hold down a regular place at Blackburn, McEveley signed for promotion-chasing Championship side Derby County during the January 2007 transfer window for a fee rumoured to be in the region of £600,000.

[13] Replacing previous first choice left back Mo Camara, McEveley played regularly for the Rams as they eventually finished third and earned promotion to the Premier League following a 1–0 win over West Brom in the Championship play-off final.

McEveley played regularly for Derby upon their return to the Premier League and scored his first goal for County against Liverpool, the equaliser, in a 2–1 home defeat.

He sustained knee ligament damage in the 1–0 loss to Bolton on 2 January 2008 after a heavy tackle from Kevin Davies which was expected to keep him out for four months, though he returned six weeks later to play in Derby's 2–0 defeat away to Wigan Athletic at the end of February 2008.

He joined Preston North End on a one-month loan on 29 September 2008, and made his debut in a 2–0 defeat against Swansea, conceding a penalty that lead to the second goal.

On 11 April 2009, in Derby's 1–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, McEveley broke a metatarsal in his left foot, and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

[18] McEveley was transferred to intensive care after his heart was successfully restarted and following a scan, doctors gave him the all-clear, telling him it would not affect his football.

Alcock later said: I had a routine operation on my fractured cheekbone and once I went under my heart stopped for two-and-a-half minutes and they had to resuscitate me before I woke up in intensive care.

[23] McEveley scored his first goal for Barnsley in the away game with Norwich City at Carrow Road, heading in Kieran Trippier's free-kick.

[33] He made his full international debut for Scotland in the 1–0 win over South Africa on 22 August 2007,[34] and won his third cap during the 1–1 draw with Croatia at Hampden Park, significant as manager George Burley's first match with the side.