Tom Newey
Following two loan spells at the Abbey Stadium - and one with today's visitors - Tom Newey recently signed until the end of the season and has settled in at left back.
Born and raised in Sheffield, Tom grew up a Sheffield Wednesday supporter but his first involvement with a professional club was with Leeds United at the age of ten.
Asked about conflicting emotions, he smiles, "As a kid you don't see it like that, you're just happy that a big club has seen you, so I was chuffed to bits when a big club like Leeds came in for me."
Tom stayed with Leeds all the way through to the age of 20, playing regularly for the youth and then the reserve team, and he was on the fringes of the extreme highs that preceded the club's recent fortunes.
"When I was there they were flying high in the Champions League and everything looked rosy," he recalls, "but then towards the end of my time there was the start of the decline, when they found out they'd got a lot of debts and it was a downslide for them.
"But they seem to have stabilised and hopefully they're looking forward and building from there."
During his time at Leeds, the down-to-earth Yorkshireman played alongside James Milner who is now at Newcastle, and Matthew Kilgallon and Fraser Richardson, who have both graduated to the Leeds first team from the same youth team as Tom.
"I've got some good friends up there and we stay in touch," he adds.
After loan spells at Cambridge United and Darlington in early 2003, Tom joined Leyton Orient on a free transfer that summer and spent a season and a half there before returning to the Abbey in January, initially on loan.
"My time at Orient was my first full season as a professional playing week in, week out, and I played virtually every game in my first season, but then there was a bit of a difference between myself and the management and I knew I was out of the picture," he reveals.
"This season hadn't been enjoyable, I hadn't been playing much, and then I got the chance to come to Cambridge again and I snatched their hands off because it was a chance to get playing again."
Although Tom had never met Steve Thompson, he knew of him from his eldest brother who is a Sheffield United supporter and remembered the U's boss being manager of the Blades.
However, the 22-year-old already knew several of the players and staff from his previous loan, which made it easy to settle in, and he is surprised at the position the U's are in.
"The quality of the players between the first time I was here and now is roughly the same in my opinion, but you wouldn't know it to judge by the league position," he says.
"When I was here last time we were just outside the play-offs and now we're fighting for survival, but I think losing Dave Kitson was a massive blow for the club and the goals he scored were the difference."
Delighted at the opportunity to play regular first team football and then to make the move permanent last month, Tom was brought in to play on the left of midfield but he has shone in recent games at left back.
"I think that's my strongest position and that's where I played at Leeds," he confirms. "I haven't really had the chance to play there for the last couple of years, so from a personal point of view I'm pleased to be playing back there.
"I feel more comfortable there and hopefully that's where I'll play most games in my career."
After his month at the Abbey in 2003, Tom spent the last three months of the season on loan with today's opponents, but he says his approach to this game will be the same as any other.
"I don't think there's many left from when I was there - they seem to have brought in a lot of new faces - but I always want to win, whoever it's against, and this game will be no different. We need the three points if we're to have any chance of survival."
With just five games remaining, how does he view the rest of the season?
"We need to win five, which is going to be a tall order and even if we win all five it might not be enough," he states, "but all the boys and the management are fighting and pulling in the same direction.
"We've got five games to try and save the club from relegation and we're all trying as hard as we can."
Three of those five games are at home, starting with today's, and Tom hopes United can rediscover the home form from February and March that earned nine points from the matches against Cheltenham, Oxford and Wycombe.
"Our home form has been good recently. Obviously last time we lost to Southend, who are top of the league and are going to get promoted, but I thought for most of the game we matched them and it was only really them taking their chances that was the difference between us in that game.
"We won the three home games before that and we'll need to put in another good performance to beat Darlington, because they're fighting to get in the play-offs and they're not just going to roll over.
"We've got to go into the game and fight tooth and nail to get the three points, and it doesn't really matter how we play, we've just got to get the points," he stresses.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season and United's future in the balance, what are Tom's thoughts about his own future?
"I've heard nothing," he replies. "I'm just enjoying my football at the moment. I haven't played many games this season and it's nice to have a run in the team and to be enjoying my football and my time at Cambridge.
"I'm just trying to help keep the club in the League and then we'll take things from there," he concludes.
Andrea Thrussell
In The Hot Seat
Tom answers some questions from supporters:
Mick asks:
Tom, you've played in two places on the left for Cambridge United; which one do you prefer?
I prefer playing left back. I feel I'm more comfortable playing there and I feel that's my best position. I like to get forward and attack as a left back, but obviously my main job is to defend and prefer left back to left midfield.
Ryan asks:
Do you feel, with the performances that you and other members of the squad have put in, that Cambridge deserve to stay up?
Obviously I can only comment on the time since I've been here, which is since January, and I don't think the team has performed too badly.
We've had some good results and some poor results too, but with a new manager coming in it's been a bit of a transitional period and I don't think you can put too much blame on the management or the team that's playing at the moment.
Obviously I don't know what happened before and with other managers, but the table doesn't lie and we're bottom for a reason. All I can say is that the lads are trying as hard as they possibly can in every game, and if we do get relegated it's because as a team we haven't been good enough over the season.
Ryan also asks:
How have you settled in at Cambridge, and have you bonded with any particular players more than others?
I wouldn't say I've bonded with any more than others because I get on with all the players, but I'm living in Daniel Chillingworth's house at the moment and it's me, him and Danny Webb, and Adam Tann lives just round the corner so we all get on quite well. And obviously I was big mates with Ciaran Toner at Leyton Orient and he's just signed for us, so I they're the ones I see the most.
Matt asks:
What's the normal training routine for a player at Cambridge United?
It varies, and sometimes we get Wednesdays off depending on how results have gone, but most days we'll train for a couple of hours in the morning, and then we've got access to the gym at Next Generation in Cambridge so we can go there and do weights and various other things in the afternoon.
'Pel' asks:
How does this club compare to your previous club?
I don't think there's much difference. I think player for player there's not much difference between the standard of the players, and I think we proved that when we played Leyton Orient and we should have won the game but came away with a draw.
I think Leyton Orient possibly has the potential to be a bigger club with the financial backing of Barry Hearn, who's obviously a successful businessman in other sports as well, but as a football club as a whole I don't see much difference.
Ally asks:
Of the clubs you've played for, which team has the best fans?
That's a tough one. I didn't actually play a first team game at Leeds but obviously their fan base is a lot bigger than the other clubs and they're supported world-wide. I enjoyed my time at Darlington and I was made to feel welcome there, but I don't think any fans in particular have been better than any others. They've all been decent to me so I can't really pick one.
'unitedfan' asks:
Hob Nob or chocolate Digestive?
Hob Nob!
Will asks:
Who's been the biggest influence on your career to date, and why?
I'd have to say my family. My Mum and Dad have always supported me from a young age, and I have two older brothers and they were both involved in football at decent levels so all the time I was growing up football's always been in my family.
Both my parents enjoy football and they come and watch me home and away, so I'd definitely say my family.
And a few general questions from the message board at cambridgeunited.com:
If you stay in a hotel before an away game, who do you normally room with?
I've done a couple of overnight away trips and I've been in with Stuart Wardley when he was here, but Ciaran Toner is the latest.
The best player that you've played with, and against?
The best player I've played with would probably be Jonathan Woodgate in the reserves when he was at Leeds, and against would be Jermaine Pennant when I was in the Leeds youth team and he was in the youth team at Arsenal.
What are your ambitions after football?
I haven't really looked that far ahead. Possibly something like coaching but I haven't really looked down that avenue yet.
What are your thoughts on penalty shoot-outs and possible alternatives?
I like the current system and I don't think there's any other way you can settle things like cup ties. They're not too nice to take part in but they're good from the spectators' point of view and I think they should keep them.
Which website do you visit most often?
Possibly eBay and ones you can buy music from.
What's the highlight of your career so far?
Probably playing in Leeds reserve games alongside people like Jonathan Woodgate, David Batty, Lucas Radebe and people of a high calibre like that. Playing and training with people of that calibre is going to be a good influence on you.
*A shorter version of this interview appeared in the programme for the match against Darlington on 9th April, 2005.
Previous Featured Players:
30Apr05: Adam Tann
23Apr05: Iwan Roberts
10Apr05: Stuart Bimson
17Mar05: Matt Somner
09Mar05: Daniel Chillingworth
24Feb05: Dan Gleeson
17Feb05: Shane Tudor
14Feb05: Richard Hodgson
07Feb05: Warren Goodhind
22Dec04: Darren Quinton
06Dec04: Andy Duncan
24Nov04: John Ruddy
22Oct04: Kingsley Mbome
13Oct04: Jermaine Easter
17Sep04: Justin Walker
09Sep04: John Turner
26Aug04: Luke Guttridge
Last season's Featured Players:
21May04: Your Players of the Year 2003/04
14May04: Ryan Lockett & Stephen Smith
06May04: Matt Robinson
21Apr04: Dan Gleeson
07Apr04: Jermaine Easter
31Mar04: Ashley Nicholls
12Mar04: Alex Revell
04Mar04: David Bridges
20Feb04: Fred Murray
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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