The Simon to Sam Ives' Garfunkel in the centre of midfield last season, Luke Berry has begun this campaign where he left off last, and is striving to follow in his team-mate's footsteps.
The pair formed the engine room of the particularly effective machine which finished second in the Ridgeons Premier Division. Second place, however, is not enough for Luke, who insists, "I think we can go one better, the first years are decent - we can get first place and do better in the cups."
In fact, the scholars topped the division by late August after accruing 13 points from the first 15 on offer, and are currently fourth with games in hand. Luke has once again been central to this success, and after a pre-season showing against Blackburn Rovers Under 18s, which caught the eye of first team boss Martin Ling, the Bassingbourn-based midfielder has risen from strength to strength.
Having shone in front of Ling, Luke, along with CRC captain Blaine Hudson, was given a first-team squad number prior to the start of the campaign, and his CRC goal tally for the season already stands at ten, twice the amount he hit in 38 matches last term.
A brace in the August mauling of Histon Reserves further marked him out as a prominent force, particularly given the strength and experience of his opposite number - U's loanee Ben Farrell - and Jez George was quick to praise this display in particular, "It was fitting that Luke Berry completed the scoring as he produced an outstanding performance and was instrumental in all our best moments."
Ever conforming to the model of the Cambridge United scholar, Luke is quick and ready to list areas for improvement, but when asked about his chances of earning a professional contract, he replies in confident mood, "There's no pressure; if you do it on the training pitch, you'll get in."
Having also been under Jez's tutelage at Cambridge City, Luke has kept a close eye on the progress of another former City man, Robbie Simpson, but his first goal is to usurp his regular midfield partner of last season, Sam Ives: "I've got to try and catch him and get ahead of him."
A contributing factor to Berry's competence in the busy hub of a Ridgeons League midfield is surely his demeanour. Throughout our short chat, he comes across as laid-back, neutral, with perhaps a measure of shyness. He is laconic, but positive and direct.
He talks about the test of competing in the division, and juggling involvement in a number of competitions, now additionally including the FA Vase: "The demands of playing 40 games are tough," he admits. "We try and play in the Ridgeons, and you need to work harder to get the ball back."
However, Luke's aptitude for competition in this adult league is such that these demands are often far from apparent to the spectator. Expect this second year to continue his fine progress as the scholars endeavour to repeat and build on their triumphs of 2008/09, but don't expect him to shout about it.
Henry Milward
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