The Prestwich defender made his name playing 121 league games for Sunderland between 1997-2001 and joined City in 2004 via three years with Ipswich Town. The reliable full-back spent just a season at City, between 2004-05, and played 21 league games for the club.
He played five times for England U21s and started his career with Oldham Athletic before securing a move to Marseille in the 1996-97 season. He fell down the pecking order during his time as a Fox and had a thirteen-game loan spell with Derby County before moving on to play for Reading and Southampton, where he retired from professional football due to a hip injury in April 2008.
Makin has since gone on to continue playing further down the football pyramid with his local club Radcliffe Borough in the Northern Premier League.