He has survived four different managers, seen twice as many chairmen depart, and played alongside almost 100 different players - so it's little wonder that Courtney Pitt describes his four years at Cambridge as "eventful."

The Chelsea trainee signed on a free transfer after being released by Boston United in 2005 and has made over 150 appearances for the U's, though he still recalls the circumstances that he met with on his arrival at The Abbey.

"The club was in turmoil really, we only had about four or five experienced players and it was an achievement just to stay up. We didn't exactly take the division by storm but we held our own in that first season and we built a foundation for what we have now."

There was the small matter of a fight for survival the following season, as a dreadful run of form saw the club locked in a battle for survival on and off the pitch. Courtney recalls the dramatic run-in as vividly as any fan could.

"We knew we were in a relegation battle that year. We were playing far below the standards we set ourselves and we had it all to do at the end. But we had that turnaround against Dagenham from 2-0 down to win 4-2, and a 7-0 against Weymouth.

"And then," he adds, with a justifiably dramatic pause, "there was Aldershot..."

A game so inestimably crucial, so unbearably tense and ultimately so unforgettably brilliant that it practically defies description, but the refreshingly eloquent winger gives it his best shot.

"It was a must-win game, we knew we had to produce a performance that day. We played well and I remember putting the ball in the box for Robbie (Simpson) to score. The fans went pretty crazy and that was a huge result for us.

"There has been an incredible transformation since then, because you look at the squad now and it's full of seasoned pros in all departments. The expectation now is to be challenging for promotion, and we've shown in the last two seasons we can do that."

And though he accepts that 'inconsistent' is the word most apt to describe the campaign so far, it is his sincere belief that the side can do it again this season.

"We're good enough to put ourselves up there amongst the play-off places. We haven't been consistent enough this season but we've shown flashes of what we're about.

"Martin Ling has only been here a few months, and he's getting to know us and he's learning about us every day. You're yet to see the best of him, and of us, but there's a long way to go in this season and there's no reason why we can't go on a run like we have done in the last two seasons."

As a kid, Courtney admired the mesmerising skills of John Barnes and although even he would cringe at any direct comparison, he does share a similar ethos with the legendary Liverpool midfielder.

"I see it as my job to try and make things happen, that's what I'm in the team for; if I'm not being positive and I'm not trying to create chances then I'm not doing my job."

Responding to the suggestion that he is a player who divides opinion on the terraces, Courtney offers a dignified response but insists that players respond better to encouragement, rather than criticism, from the stands.

"I have confidence in my ability and I believe, on my day, I can change matches. I do understand people's frustrations and when they say maybe my final product isn't always there, but you have to understand that when I'm trying to take players on and put the ball in the right place for a striker, sometimes it's not going to come off.

"Players get enough stick from the opposition fans, so it's definitely not helpful to hear it from your own. But the support we get at Cambridge is normally fantastic."

During Jimmy Quinn's tenure, Courtney was employed as a wing-back for a prolonged spell, and despite admitting that it did frustrate him as a naturally attacking player, he acknowledges that the experience has added to his game.

"I'm not going to tell you I enjoyed it, because I didn't. But did it help to make me a better player? It probably did.

"I have improved in my time here, and I do understand that as a midfield player, however much you enjoy going forward, you've got to defend. And I do my bit in that department."

The script writers for the Abbey soap opera tried out some of their most far-fetched storylines yet over the summer, writing key protagonists into and out of the story with scant regard for the growing incredulity of a disbelieving audience.

Courtney narrowly escaped the chop; having found himself on the transfer list he admits he thought the curtain had come down on his United career.

"I didn't want to leave, but I did want to play football and it looked for a while like I wouldn't be able to do that here anymore. So I did look elsewhere, but I always wanted to stay at Cambridge and I'm glad to be here now."

But he insists the players are not distracted by the events which take place behind the scenes, and that the pitch is the real stage.

"We're footballers and we're paid to do a job, and that's what we get on with while all that stuff goes on away from the pitch. Of course we hear about it, but we know as much as the fans do usually, and we just get on with it."

After featuring in the first two games of the campaign, Courtney found himself sidelined after Martin Ling's arrival. "That was something to do with my contract," he says, before sidestepping all follow-up questions with the kind of agility that any Conference full-back will be familiar with.

But with that issue now resolved, he is focused on the job at hand, which continues with today's match against York City in a competition he - only too happy to borrow a fitting cliché - describes as "magic."

When Quinn's Cambridge progressed to the third round two years ago, they drew then-Championship club Wolves out of the hat, and the Sky Sports News cameras captured the apparent delight of Courtney.

"I was pretty happy with that draw; my girlfriend is from Wolverhampton so it had a bit of an extra edge.

"The game itself is something I remember with mixed emotions. It's not every day that you get to play a Championship club, and we went there and put on a great performance. We led for so long and even after letting in the equaliser we were minutes away from a replay.

"We were proud of our performance that day, but of course you want to win every game, whoever you're playing, so it was disappointing to lose. But that's what the FA Cup is all about, the matches like that, moments like going 1-0 up there."

As a player approaching his prime - he turns 28 in a few weeks - Courtney modestly chuckles at the suggestion he might share his wisdom with the young talent coming through.

"I'd always give the younger lads the benefit of any wisdom I do have - I don't know how much that is though!

"But of course all the more senior pros can help the less experienced players. It works both ways though, they've got opinions too and I'll listen to them the same as they will listen to me. It's give and take."

They might even want to take fashion tips from him: "They call me the fashion guru," he jokes, after deriding the dress sense of most of the squad.

Best not to advise them on what car to buy though, eh Courtney? That'll be the Daewoo!

--- 20 Questions ---

Apart from your family, what person has had the most positive influence on your career so far?
Graham Rix. I was with him at Chelsea and he signed me for Oxford.

Who's the best Captain you have ever played with?
John Terry was my captain in the youth team at Chelsea and even then you knew he would be quality.

The best player you've played with/against?
With would be Gianfranco Zola or Eidur Gudjohnsen... but Dan Chillingworth comes close! Against, definitely Shaun Wright-Phillips. Amazing.

Out of all the players that have left United since you've been at the Club, who were you saddest to see go?
Rob Wolleaston. I've known him since I was 15 and was surprised when he left.

What player/team did you admire growing up and why?
Liverpool, particularly John Barnes, but I just loved the way they played.

What's the funniest terrace chant you've ever heard?
(Laughs at the fact Danny Crow chose Oxford's chant for him) Ben Farrell's is pretty funny.

Outside of football, are there any other sports at which you were good as a youngster and might have gone on to play professionally?
Nothing else really, I was alright at 200 metres but I just wanted to play football.

Your top three sportsmen/women of all time?
Diego Maradona, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali.

What's your favourite meal and drink?
Favourite drink is apple juice, and food is chilli-prawn linguine.

What was the last album you bought?
Jay-Z Blueprint 3. Good album.

What was the last film you went to see?
I saw Drag Me To Hell, it's the worst film I've ever seen!

What car do you drive?
(laughs) A Daewoo Lanos. I got it for the banter. The boys hate it but it only cost me about £400 and it's done over 100,000 miles.

Where is the furthest you have travelled to on holiday?
I went to Hong Kong for a youth tournament when I was at Chelsea, but on holiday it would be Mexico.

In training, does anyone fancy themselves in a completely different position to their normal matchday role?
I should play in the Makelele role. But Hats fancies himself in any position apart from the one he plays!

Out of all the players you have played with, who has/had the worst sense of style?
Jai is up there, he's got these awful Nike three-quarter lengths. Danny Potter's got horrible black trackies about six sizes too big. Rory McAuley's got Velcro trainers he never takes off, and Danny Crow had a body warmer thing with a hole in it.

Which Cambridge United player would you LEAST like to be stuck in a lift with, and why?
Sam Ives because he sounds like a mouse and you can't really hear him.

Which United player past/present would you 'set up' for a 'Beadle's About' kinda stunt, and what would it entail?
Danny Crow or Dan Gleeson because they think they're so casual. Anything to wind them up.

Where is the best place on Earth, and why?
My bed. Because I love to sleep.

What is the one piece of advice you would give a young player?
Work hard. Practice and take every piece of advice you can.

What's the very best thing about football?
Doing what you always wanted to. And the hours!

Courtney was talking to Russ Greaves
web@cambridge-united.co.uk

This interview was also published in the programme for the FA Cup match against York City on Saturday 28th November 2009.

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