[1] Born in Liverpool, Branch started his career with the Everton academy, before making his senior debut on 22 February 1996 as a substitute at Manchester United.
He was unable to live up to early promise and was loaned to Manchester City, where he reunited with his former Everton manager Joe Royle.
During the 1999/2000 season Branch scored a controversial goal during Wolves home fixture with Nottingham Forest, after he picked up what he thought was a loose ball played by the Forest keeper Dave Beasant who intended to put the ball out of play so Lee Naylor could receive treatment, in which he scored.
[citation needed] Following the arrival of Dave Jones as Wolves manager, Branch fell out of favour and had loan spells while transfer-listed with Reading and then Hull City over the next two years.
He endured a turbulent spell with the League Two club, where he was taken off the transfer list in July 2006 after appearing to patch up his differences with manager Mark Wright.