Dominant defender Mark Albrighton signed for United in June and has already become a fixture in the side.
He has over 200 league and Conference appearances under his belt and brings not just experience but great ability in the air and strength in the tackle.
Mark's route into professional football is different from the rest of the players, having left school at 16 to go into engineering and only making football his full-time career at the age of 25.
His part-time playing career began with local club Nuneaton Borough and then Atherstone, where he caught the eye of then-manager Alan Lewer, who signed him for Telford in 1999 for a sizeable fee of £15,000.
"They were part-time when I went to Telford, but after Alan left and a new manager came in they decided to go full-time and it took me quite a bit to convince myself to give my job up after seven years to go and play football," Mark recalls.
"But I packed my job up, went full-time, and then after six months the club went bust! My contract was running out and that's when Doncaster came in for me, which was really good timing, and they were full-time so I jumped at the chance to join them."
He spent four successful seasons with Doncaster as they won promotion from the Conference via the play-offs in his first season, and subsequently to League One as Champions.
"I had two years in League One and the success at Doncaster is the highlight of my career so far," he adds.
"A funny thing is I made my Football League debut here at the Abbey Stadium for Doncaster and scored my first League goal too, so I've got good memories of playing here and hopefully there will be more to come."
Mark's League debut and goal came in September 2003 when the newly promoted Rovers came from three goals down to earn a 3-3 draw in front of a 3,492 crowd at the Abbey. A goal from Shane Tudor and two by Dave Kitson put United ahead, before Albrighton came off the bench to head the second of Doncaster's three second half goals.
He had four good seasons at Doncaster, but during his fourth season he suffered an injury and struggled to get back into a side doing well.
Not wanting to sit on the bench or in the stand, he went on loan to Chester to play first team football for a few months before he was called back to play the rest of the season.
At the end of his contract he wanted to move back to the Midlands - "but I signed for Boston, which is even further away!" He moved back to Nuneaton where he has a girlfriend and enjoys playing sports, especially golf, and socialising with friends.
However the move to Boston didn't work out due to differences with manager Steve Evans so he had a spell on loan at Darlington under former Doncaster manager Dave Penney.
"I played the first two games but then I pulled my hamstring so I was out for six weeks and my loan was up, then Graham Westley at Rushden came in for me and I went on loan there for the rest of the season," says Mark of last season.
He made 17 appearances and scored a goal as the Diamonds clawed their way from the Conference relegation zone to mid-table safety with a long unbeaten run, but Westley was dismissed and Garry Hill was appointed in his place, and Mark returned to Boston at the end of the season.
The Lincolnshire side were relegated from League Two and then suffered a double relegation due to serious financial problems, and although he had another year on his contract Mark was told that if he could find another club, he should.
"I had some enquiries from other clubs and that's when Alan Lewer gave me a call and I met the manager and they persuaded me to come to Cambridge," he says.
"Cambridge is a very big club, as you could see from the attendances here despite some of the results last year, and I wanted to come here and help the club push into the league above."
The new season started with a week in barracks with the Army, and as one of seven new players Mark admits it was helpful to spend that concentrated time with his new team-mates.
"It was fantastic, I think we needed that. Obviously there were quite a few new players and we went there for a bonding experience, and everyone came out of their shell. It was really hard work and the lads have benefited from it as you can see from our start to the season.
"The team spirit is unbelievable. We take the football seriously but you need to have a bit of a laugh as well and we've done things like putting lookalike posters up in the dressing room above the pegs. Apparently I look like a vampire so mine is a vampire, although admittedly I'm the one who started it off so it's come back to bite me!"
31-year-old Mark also took the opportunity to state: "I am not 'The Shadow'!"
The players have recently been receiving mysterious funny text messages and letters from 'The Shadow' and Mark is the prime suspect.
"Everyone - including the management staff - thinks it's me but it's not. We're getting funny comments in texts and even getting letters too, with just a silhouette of a man and a question mark, and I'm not even sure if it is one of the playing staff but I am the number one suspect.
"At Woking even the crowd was shouting something like 'Shadow, give us a text', but it's all good humour and we all come in in the mornings and talk about The Shadow."
A new player who arrived on the eve of the new season was Leo Fortune-West, someone Mark knows well from his time at Doncaster.
"I had a good three seasons there with Leo. He came in when we got into the League and he's obviously an experienced player who's been there and done it and we had three successful seasons with him there.
"It helps when we have a young side with a lot of young lads. They're all good players but obviously they need a bit of guidance and hopefully myself and Mark Peters and Leo and Browny can help to show them what to do."
At Donny he was nicknamed "Sarge" by the fans because of the vocal way he organised the side, and at the start of this season he was told by Jimmy Quinn that he would be vice-captain to Danny Brown.
"The Gaffer comes to me and Browny and Mark Peters to talk about things and I enjoy that sort of involvement," he says. "I've not really been captain before, not since I was at Atherstone, but it's something I like to do."
He admits that he might look to coaching once his playing career is over, but adds, "I've done a bit of my coaching badges but just now I'm concentrating on keeping fit and playing well for the side, and hopefully there's plenty of time to think about that."
We also asked Mark some questions from supporters on the club message board here at cambridgeunited.com, starting with one from Ben Mynott, who asks: "Having got off the mark already, do you have a personal goal target for the season, and if so, what is it?"
Mark: "I'm not a really big goalscorer. I scored one for Rushden last year but if I can get five this season I'd be delighted."
Ben also asks: "Did it feel a bit strange being captain so early in your Cambridge career, due to Danny Brown's absence?"
Mark: "Not really. The army camp did help everyone gel together and everyone respects everyone, and probably because I'm 31 and older I feel fine doing the job."
Ben's final question: "Did you get disciplined by the club for your silly kick at the end of the Oxford game?"
Mark: "No the manager didn't speak to me but I did apologise about that. I don't really know what happened; I just had a bit of the red mist after he tackled me. The chap I kicked out at was elbowing a lot of the players and I don't know why I did that because I'm not usually like that, but I just lost my head for a split second. If I had got sent off obviously I would have paid the price but I've made a mistake and it won't happen again."
Garry Wright asks: "First I would like to say that the ball you played to Daniel Gleeson for our first goal v Oxford was brilliant! My question is where do you think we will finish in the league this year?"
Mark: "Thanks Garry. Of course I'm hoping we can finish top, but as high as we can really. It's a long season and there are a lot of good sides in the league, and it will need some luck, but I can see us finishing in the top five."
Jane Foster asks: "What teams do you tip for doing well in the Blue Square Premier this season?"
Mark: "I fancied York at the beginning, Oxford, Exeter, Torquay - there are quite a few good teams. I would probably say Exeter and Torquay."
Jane also asks: "We have some young, up-and-coming players at United; what experience/tips do you hope to impress on these younger players, especially your colleagues in defensive positions?"
Mark: "Gavin Hoyte is not used to playing in front of big crowds so I'm trying to get him through that; just to blank everything out and just play your football. Obviously Michael Morrison has been here a few years now and he's already got some experience, but he's still young and has a few things to learn as well. I'm hoping that in games and in training every day me and Mark Peters can talk to those two and help them in the right direction."
Jane's final question: "How do you prepare for a game? Do you have any rituals or superstitions?"
Mark: "Not really. I put the music on in the dressing room and have a laugh and just try to mellow myself out and relax. The only thing I really like to do is walk out as number six onto the pitch because I've been squad number six for the last four years and I always walk out as sixth man except for if I'm captain."
We closed with Mark's thoughts and hopes for this season: "The manager and Alan Lewer obviously want to push on this season, which is always a good start. The squad is small but the way we've started is promising because we've not really played well but we're unbeaten.
"I think we need a few more players and if we can just stay near the top six most of the season I think we can push on from there."
Andrea Thrussell
web@cambridge-united.co.uk
*An edited version of this interview was also published in the programme for the match against Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday 4th September, 2007
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