 In two seasons, he was top scorer with Bradford, before leaving before the end of his third season and deciding to retire at the age of 36.Thorne was born in Urmston, Greater Manchester and started his career at Blackburn Rovers.His only first team appearance came when he appeared in the 1994 FA Charity Shield at Wembley Stadium, he replaced Mark Atkins in the 64th minute of the 2–0 defeat against Manchester United.