A striker with Premiership games under his belt, Danny Crow joined Cambridge United two months ago and has worked extra training sessions to regain his fitness after being frozen out by local rivals Peterborough United.
Born in Great Yarmouth, the 22-year-old striker grew up in nearby Caister-on-Sea and was on the books of Norwich City from the age of eight, earning a two-year YTS at the age of 16 and going on to turn professional at 18.
His youth team manager was former Watford boss Adie Boothroyd, and Danny admits he was shocked to see him dismissed by the Championship side last month.
"I was with him for two or three years at Norwich and I learned a lot under him; he's a genuine, honest man and he's a good manager, and it was no surprise to see him do well with Watford, but that's the way football goes. I'm sure he'll be back in a job before too long," he adds.
Part of Norwich City's Under 15 squad that won the Northern Ireland Milk Cup in August 2001, Danny became a regular for the reserves while still a trainee and trained regularly with the first team, and his Premiership debut came at Christmas 2004 when he was still only 18.
"I'd been playing for the reserves and a few teams wanted me on loan, so they gave me a professional contract with a view to sending me on loan," he recalls. "We had a good squad but then we got a few injuries and luckily I was doing well; I'd been included in a few squads before but never on the bench, but then I was named on the bench for the game at Middlesbrough and I came on.
"It was a massive thing for me because I'd grown up with Norwich City and your aim from a young kid is always to play for the first team, so it was a major achievement for me. There were a couple of thousand Norwich fans there and when I came on I heard my name being chanted, and that was a great feeling. I'd watched the team as a kid myself and there I was on the pitch and the first thing I did was nearly score with a header! I was up against Gareth Southgate too so at the age of 18 it just seemed surreal."
In the next few weeks Danny made two more substitute appearances in the Premiership and one in the FA Cup, playing against Liverpool, West Ham and Aston Villa, and although Norwich were struggling in a relegation season it is a period he is proud to look back on.
"To say you've played at that level is an honour really," he says. "It's something that will live with me for the rest of my life, no matter what else happens in my career."
During January 2005 some of the experienced players returned from injury and striker Dean Ashton joined the club, so Danny was sent on loan to Northampton for the rest of the season to gain experience.
"I was a bit disappointed because I'd been playing for Norwich and I wanted to stay there, but they told me it was important to gain more experience," he recalls.
"I don't remember much about the games but I remember it was a rough league with big defenders and it was really different from being at Norwich, so it was a reality check for me. I played a lot of football and I enjoyed it there and I learned a lot too, which was obviously important to a young lad trying to make a career in the game."
Four starts, six sub appearances and two goals later he returned to Norwich with an injury, and at the end of the season he was told he would not be offered a new contract as the club adapted to life in the Championship following relegation from the top flight.
"They had a year's option on my contract but they told me they didn't think my career would be furthered there," says Danny of the decision that severed his ten year ties with the club.
"I was disappointed because that was my first year as a professional and I thought I had achieved enough to be offered another year, but obviously not. Some of the Norwich fans were surprised at their decision, and I was really gutted because I didn't see my career anywhere else; I hadn't done anything wrong so it was frustrating, but that's football. There are a lot of downs in football and that's one of my major disappointments - leaving the club I'd watched and always wanted to play for."
Danny went away on holiday during what he describes as "a horrible summer" as he waited to see where his career would take him next. A few clubs were interested in him but the one showing the most determination was Peterborough United, and Barry Fry and manager Mark Wright secured him on a two-year deal.
Danny admits it was a big drop down to League Two but he regards the move to Peterborough as a good decision - at least at first.
After a slow start while he adapted to a different level of football and regained his confidence, he finished the season as top scorer with 17 goals and won the 'Player of the Season' award, and also attracted interest from Adie Boothroyd, who by now was in charge at Watford.
"Adie was keen on me and I went there for a week to train with them, but nothing could be arranged between Peterborough and Watford, which was disappointing. But I went back to Peterborough, kept scoring goals and it was a good season."
The following season saw Keith Alexander in charge and Danny had scored ten goals by Christmas 2006, but Darren Ferguson took over in January 2007 and the change of manager effectively marked the beginning of the end of his time at Peterborough.
"I got an injury when Darren Ferguson took over and I don't think my face ever fitted with him," he comments. "I was always just on the bench and I didn't really get a run in the team, and I think he just wanted to get his own players in and build a new squad.
"He got rid of most of the players and the only one still there now from when I went there is Jamie Day, which tells you that he just wants his own squad."
Danny was restricted to just four more starting appearances, yielding one more league goal, and in May 2007 he was transfer-listed. He began last season with two goals in four league games before joining Notts County on loan in October with a view to a permanent transfer, but injured his foot on his debut and had to return to Peterborough for three months of treatment and rehab.
In February 2008 he was back on loan with Notts County and scored on his second debut, but only managed one further goal in 14 appearances for the underachieving Magpies, who included now-U's winger Andy Parkinson.
"I was low on confidence and I didn't do very well," he admits. "I didn't do myself justice there and it was disappointing."
At the end of the season, following Peterborough's promotion to League One, Danny was told he was not required and during an unsettling summer a number of Football League clubs were said to be interested, but he remained on Posh's books until his contract was terminated by mutual consent on transfer deadline day.
"Rotherham were keen at the end of last season and they were trying to sort a deal out, but nothing could be sorted out between myself and Peterborough," says Danny as he explains his protracted exit from London Road.
"Peterborough were just trying to get rid of players as quickly as they could, and when I went back for pre-season they made me train with the youth team. It was horrible knowing you're not wanted, and the manager and the chairman and Barry Fry treating you that way, but football can be like that and a lot of players go through something like that."
Talk of interest from Cambridge United arose following Paul Carden's return to the club as assistant manager. Carden had played alongside Crow in his season with Posh and he kept in regular contact with the young striker as he tried to arrive at a settlement with Peterborough.
"Cardy told me I should come here and start playing football again," he says. "Cardy and the gaffer know the reasons why I didn't come straightaway, because things had to be sorted out with Peterborough and it wasn't happening properly. I had a good deal there and I told Cardy I wanted to come but things had to be sorted out first, and he understood the situation.
"By the time it was sorted out, I spoke to Cardy again and he said the budget was spent, which I totally understood because it was left right up until deadline day until my contract got terminated. Some teams wanted me to go and train with them and play trial games, but I was only interested in the people that showed me the most interest and that was Cambridge United."
Ten days after leaving Peterborough, a deal was struck to bring him to Cambridge and he insists he was delighted to sign.
"It was just a question of playing football for me, not what league it's in, and coming here was a good decision because we've got a good bunch of lads and I'm playing football, which is what it's all about.
"Obviously it would have been nice to stay in the Football League but in the last two years I've done nothing in my career to justify being signed by a league club. I'm pleased to be at Cambridge and it's great to be playing football again - it's a while since I've been happy at a club and I'm really happy now."
Gary Brabin warned supporters when he signed Danny that the striker would need time to regain his fitness. Having not played a competitive match since April, and only training with Peterborough's youth team this season, Crow was well behind the other players and he admits it has been a struggle to make up for lost time.
Explaining how he has had to regain not just general fitness but also 'match fitness' and sharpness of thought and reactions, Danny revealed that Brabin has put on extra training for him in the afternoons to help him catch up.
"As a professional sportsman you need to be training with grown adults," he states. "That's what I've been used to for the last four years, but when I was training with the youth players we didn't do much running or fitness work and I didn't play any games.
"I knew it would be a few weeks before I could even push for a place here so since I've been here I've done extra work every day after training, and the gaffer still does some extra work with me after training now to keep building up my fitness.
"My match fitness is back now, but you also need your sharpness and to lose weight to make yourself better," he explains, "and it takes time to bring other little things back to your game. It's hard work after being out of the game for four or five months and not playing any football but I think I'm getting there."
Energetic movement off the ball and behind the defence is a big part of Danny's usual game, and he promises Cambridge United supporters that they haven't seen the best of him yet and there is a lot more to come.
"It's frustrating because I haven't really played that well and you want to show people what you're about straightaway, but I haven't yet been able to do that," he says. "I just want to show the Cambridge players and staff and supporters what I can do and I haven't really shown anybody yet.
"There's a good set of strikers here as well so you've got to be at it every day in training because they all want to start games and I'm the same. I'm really driven to do well and I want to achieve things here, and we've got a good squad that should be pushing to get promoted."
Having missed so much football over the last two seasons, he has not set himself any personal targets for this season and prefers to keep things simple: "My target is to work hard and play well because I know I can score goals. I missed that chance at Oxford and that was really disappointing because that would have set me off, but I'm really happy to be playing football and I know the goals will come.
"I've scored two so far but I think I should have had a couple more, but my main aim at the moment is to work hard and make sure the team is winning."
Danny believes there is little difference between this level and League Two, where he spent three seasons with Peterborough and notched 23 goals in 77 appearances.
"It's a good standard and it's surprised me a bit. There are some good teams and a lot of good footballers in this league as well as the big players who like to get stuck in, and it's no different to League Two," he says. "I think if we go up we'd hold our own in that league as well."
Assessing our chances of doing just that, Danny adds, "We're only four points off the top of the league and there are a lot of teams up there doing well, but the lads here are very confident we can go up. We've got to set our sights high; the lads tell me we're one of the favourites to go up and we believe we can and I'm sure the supporters think we can too, so we've got to do it.
"The fans here are really loud," he adds. "They make so much more noise than the Peterborough fans and they don't get on your back straightaway. They just cheer the team on and that's good for the lads. It's a nice stadium here and the fans are passionate and always singing, and it's nice to be at a club where I feel wanted.
"With me coming here from Peterborough I'm not sure what the fans thought about me at first, but I hope they know now that I'm dedicated to Cambridge United and helping to get them promoted."
Andrea Thrussell
web@cambridge-united.co.uk
*An edited version of this interview was published in the programme for the match against York City on Tuesday 18th November, 2008.
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