Restored to his preferred left-back slot after a spell in midfield and praised by manager John Taylor for his recent performances, Fred Murray is thoroughly enjoying his football.

"It's been a bit of a roller coaster this season, although every week is a roller coaster really," he admits.

"Some weeks you're fine and the next day maybe you've got an injury or maybe you're not in the team and you've just got to try and stay somewhere in between. If you're up and down the whole time you'll drive yourself mad, so you've got to take the good things the same way as you take the bad things and keep a smile on your face.

"You just keep going and keep training hard because if you work hard things work out for you in the end.

"Some of the guys are pretty emotional in the club where they take things to heart very quickly if something's going wrong and they get really down, and I think the more experienced you get the better you handle it. So as seasons go by you tend to take things on the chin."

Fred joined the club two years ago from Blackburn Rovers as a 19-year-old, and he has since recorded 71 League appearances for Cambridge United. He grins as he reveals that at the age of 21 he is already regarded as one of the older players in the squad.

"When I first came we used to do training games with the 'young' versus the 'old' and I used to be on the young team. I was loving it, but now with my whole career ahead of me I'm creeping into the old team! But I don't mind," he adds. "There are plenty of young players in the squad at the minute and even though I've only played around 80 games for the club I think I can show them some experience when they're playing, or they might be able to learn a few things - or I'll get to learn off them - so it's all good."

Earlier this season Fred was pressed into service on the left of midfield when new signing and captain Stuart Bimson was preferred at left-back. As someone who has always played on the left of a back three or at left-back, the genial Irishman admits it was a difficult time.

"It's no secret that I'm much happier at left-back and it's probably obvious to see as well that I play my best football at the back. I like to attack from left-back but when the Gaffer used me in midfield I was just there to do a job. Once you kick-off it doesn't really matter, you'll play anywhere. My preferred position is definitely left-back but if he wants to play me centre-forward then I'll try and do a job for him up there as well!"

Playing up front might help Fred achieve something he has failed to do so far in his U's career - score a goal. When Stevland Angus scored at Boston in September it left Fred and Warren Goodhind as the most experienced players in the squad without a U's goal to their name, and in recent games it has been noticeable that Fred has got forward and tested the keeper a few times.

However, he laughingly urges U's fans not to be tempted by the generous odds to put their money on him to break his duck: "I'm just happy to have hit the target for a couple of games and I prefer setting up a goal anyway because it's more realistic for me. I have to score a goal in training first - I can't even score a goal in training!

"I think I'm about the last one to score a league goal so I get a bit of stick when we go to the away games and you see my price to score - I'm always 50/1 - but hopefully it'll come at some time."

John Taylor has been delighted with Fred's recent form and at Monday's AGM, when asked if Stuart Bimson would get back into the side when he is fit again, Taylor answered, "I'm not sure he's going to start ahead of Freddie at the moment because Freddie is playing very well."

Asked if he is enjoying his football at the moment, Fred responds, "I am. Obviously we've done alright in the last game or two, but even before that when we weren't getting the right results I was back enjoying my football again - probably it was just getting back to left-back again and getting back to where you want to play and where you feel more comfortable.

"Everything's kind of settled down now, and obviously since whatever's happened with players leaving and players coming in, there's a bit of stability there with the squad we have. Training's been good lately, which is important - if training's not good then you can't expect to do it on a match day - and I think we're getting a bit of a settled squad together, which is also important.

"We've obviously done a bit better defensively in the last couple of games and we need to maintain that, but it all starts on the training ground so if we can keep players fit and maybe bring in one or two more players before the end of the season then we should be OK."

As a change from the usual routine, the squad had a day of team-building and paint-balling this week, but Fred had to miss out on what John Taylor described as a "fantastic" day.

"I had a virus last week, which kept me out of training all week and I was barely fit to play the game," explains the young Irishman. "After the game I was so tired I was in bed for three days, so I was the only one who missed the paint-balling so I was devastated.

"But all the reports are that it was the best day ever and the funniest day ever, and everyone keeps going on about it. The general concensus is that it was a really good day and everyone's come back feeling really refreshed afterwards so it was a major plus.

"The team spirit is really great, and considering everything that's gone on the dressing room is the best I've seen in a long time. Everyone is getting on with each other and there's a general willingness to work in there and do the best job we can for the club and for each other, so it's much better."

Looking ahead to today's home game, Fred admits the difference between our home and away for is a puzzle.

"We've tried to address that. Maybe it's mental or maybe with some players they're thinking about it before they go out, or maybe it's that teams look at our home form when they come here and they fancy it before they come here? They might look at us and think 'they've only won one home game in the last so many', so they think they can take us before they get here and they've got an added incentive.

"But we're trying to get back to basics now in the fact that we know we're good away from home and we just need to carry that on; we don't need to change our game, we don't need to come out and attack.

"Maybe the crowd might be a bit disappointed but we've just got to set our stall out and say 'you're going to have to try and break us down'. We'll pick our moments to attack and first and foremost keep a clean sheet, because once you're keeping goals out you've got every chance of nicking one at the other end, which is our philosophy away from home, really.

"If we can keep a clean sheet away from home we'll always fancy ourselves to nick one at the other end, so it's just one of those things where obviously if you get one or two wins at home then everyone forgets about it and you can put it to bed, but until we do that everyone's going to be talking about so we have to keep going. We can talk all day about it, but we have to go out on the pitch and do it."

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Fred feels the U's season is still delicately poised.

"It's caught between two at the moment where you're looking over your shoulder because if you lose a couple of games you don't want to get dragged in, even though we're a nice few points outside the relegation battle. On the other side, we know we'll pick up points away from home but if you can start winning your home games then you've got a slight chance of putting pressure on the play-off guys.

"But you've got to go out there and do it, and until you do then it's all just talk. We need to start upping our standards and start believing that we can go out and win our games and get that belief back."

From a personal point of view, Fred's aims are simple: "I just want to play every game and try and improve in every game I play. I'm trying to demand more of myself, in training and in games, and I think that's the only way you're going to get better because if you stand still and settle for doing alright every week then you won't get anywhere.

"Sometimes I come off after a game and I'll say to myself 'yes, you've done well', but if not it ruins my weekend so I really need to go out and play well now to keep myself happy. Otherwise, even if we win, I'm still a bit disappointed.

"Even though a few people have been saying I've done well enough, I think there's still a lot more to come and I think that will only come from playing a lot more games and pushing on."

"The Quick Fire Round"

If you were on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' and had to phone a friend, which team-mate would you choose?

I can't think of a team-mate but I'd probably phone Ant (physio Ant Coole) because he's the only one likely to be watching. He's so boring he'd probably be watching!

Favourite holiday destination, and describe why in one word.

Clonmel. Home.

If you weren't a footballer, what would your job be now?

I was going to go into architecture so I'd probably be nearly fully qualified by now if I'd gone to college back home.

Who do you go to for financial advice?

The bank!

What will you be doing in ten years' time?

Hopefully still playing in some capacity.

Who is your best mate in the squad?

David Bridges is probably my best mate but everybody gets on really well, even the lads in the youth team are a great bunch of lads and everyone's close.

Who has the best dress sense in the squad?

Webby. He wears some nice gear.

And who has the worst?

Brenners. He's terrible.

In a film of your life story who would you want to play you and why?

Colin Farrell, just because he's Irish.

Porsche or Ferrari?

Ferrari, definitely.

Indian or Chinese?

Both of them!

Beer or lager?

I don't drink.

Boxers or briefs?

Boxers.

If you were given tickets for a gig, who would you want to see and why?

I love my music and I've seen just about everyone I've wanted to see, so if it was possible I'd love to have seen Queen. The last concert I saw was Bruce Springsteen back home, and he was brilliant.

Three words your team-mates might use to describe you?

Honest. Friendly. Passionate.

*A shorter version of this interview appeared in the programme for the match against Carlisle United on 31st January, (postponed to 17th February), 2004.

You can hear the full interview with Fred on our U's World multimedia website. Click here for details about U's World.

Previous Featured Players this season:
13Feb04: Daniel Webb
02Feb04: Daniel Chillingworth
19Jan04: Shaun Marshall
04Jan04: Adam Tann
29Dec03: Gareth Williams
23Dec03: Franco Nacca
18Dec03: Shane Tudor
11Dec03: Andy Duncan
04Dec03: Stevland Angus
28Nov03: John Turner
21Nov03: Luke Guttridge
29Oct03:  Stuart Bimson
21Sep03: Warren Goodhind
21Aug03: Dave Kitson
13Aug03: Justin Walker

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