Craig Westcarr
The youngest player to make a first team appearance for Nottingham Forest, Craig Westcarr admits life in the Conference came as something of a culture shock, but with two goals in the last month the busy striker is clearly getting to grips with it.
Born and raised in Nottingham, Craig joined Forest as a schoolboy when Frank Clark was manager, although he confesses he was always a Man Utd fan. He came through the youth ranks and was capped at England Schoolboy level before making his senior debut at the age of 16 in October 2001, becoming the youngest player to play for Nottingham Forest.
His debut came as a surprise to Craig, although not to his parents because manager Paul Hart - who had managed the youth team before stepping into the first team hot seat - had tipped them off beforehand, as Craig recalls.
"I wasn't used in the youth team game on the Saturday, although he wouldn't tell me why when I asked him, and when I got to the ground I found was in the first team squad.
"My family had already been told about it so they were there to see me make my debut. I came on in the second half and we beat Burnley so it was the perfect day."
Craig was involved with the first team squad for the rest of that season, making seven further appearances from the bench, and scored his first goal in the final game of the following season (2002/03), when he started the match and scored to put Forest 2-1 ahead at Rotherham in a match that ended 2-2.
"It was a good way to finish that season but the following season I was mainly on the bench and only played four times. Things changed because Joe Kinnear was in charge by then and he got sacked then Mick Harford came in."
In August 2004 Craig suffered an injury to his Medial Collateral Ligament - a similar injury to the one Courtney Pitt has just recovered from - and was sidelined for three months. Looking back, he points to the injury as the time he knew he would be leaving Nottingham Forest.
"After I did my knee, I played once more for Forest on Boxing Day last year, but I had to get fit again so Mick Harford sent me on loan to Lincoln and then MK Dons for a month. I played some games and scored for Lincoln and did OK there, but it didn't really work out for me at MK Dons.
"I went back to Forest for the rest of last season but when I did my knee I knew I wasn't going to get another contract and they told me at the end of the season."
After ten years at Forest, last summer was one of uncertainty for Craig as he joined thousands of footballers in the search for a new club. He had some trials but he found the lack of a proper pre-season campaign held him back until he played for United's reserves in a friendly at Sudbury at the end of August.
He scored two goals in that game and has been on a short-term deal since as he works to regain full fitness and match sharpness, something he feels has returned in recent weeks.
"I didn't have a pre-season and I'm still working my way back to proper fitness so I didn't really have any sharpness when I came here," he explains. "It's been about playing games and getting that sharpness back but I think I'm getting there now."
He admits the style of play in the Conference took him by surprise but he feels he has got to grips with it recently, and two goals in December seem to indicate that he is finding his feet.
"At the start it was definitely a culture shock, coming from a level where they play more football, but I have recently got used to it," says the 20-year-old. "I just thought to myself 'look, this is the division you're playing in and you've got to get on with it'.
"I've worked hard to get fit and get my sharpness back. I knew when that happened then the goals should start to come, and I've got used to Conference football now.
"I've also settled in with the squad, which helps because when I got here I didn't really know anyone and it takes time to get used to playing with different people, but now it's quality and I get on with everyone. It's taken time for me and Fola to get used to each other too, because partnerships take time to work and we're both young and learning.
"Having Courtney back is obviously a big bonus because it's another player going forward for the defences to worry about so it takes a bit of the pressure off me and Fola," he adds.
Craig scored his third goal for the club against Canvey Island on Boxing Day and enjoyed the back-to-back wins at Christmas and New Year: "It was especially good to win those two home games and end one year and start the next one on a high.
"It's always about the three points and although it's nice to do it in style we'll take them however they come!"
Like many observers, the striker believes our home form gives us a real chance of pushing higher up the table if we can begin to collect points on the road too: "We need to stick together and work through it," he says.
"Our home form is good but obviously we need to improve our away form if we want to get to the play-offs, and I think that will come. We need to control those away games and get at least a point, and that will start to give us more confidence away from home.
"I think we've been unlucky in some games, and it doesn't help when you get strange decisions against you like on Monday at Stevenage, but we have to get through it and push on.
"The money situation means we have a really young squad but that's not the manager's fault. People like to see young players coming through but, especially when we're away from home, we could sometimes do with a bit more experience, but in our situation you can't have it."
Playing on a short-term deal means Craig cannot think too far ahead but he understandably hopes to extend his stay at the Abbey Stadium.
"I'm enjoying it here and hopefully scoring goals will help. As a team we can't think further ahead than the next game and personally I just have to keep going and try to forget about the month-to-month situation.
"I'm not the only one in that situation - there are a few lads on month-to-month - and it can play on your mind but you have to get on with it."
Finally, Craig answered a few questions from supporters. First, a curious Millsy wanted to know 'Where was Craig going after the Stevenage away game when he was waiting at Stevenage station?'
"Home!" says Craig, who is still based in Nottingham. "It wasn't too bad, half an hour to Peterborough and about an hour to Nottingham from there."
'Royston Kissarmy' asked, 'Craig, you seem to cover an awful lot of ground and sometimes look completely knackered by the end. Where do you get all your energy from?'
"I'm just working hard for the team and if you do that you get your rewards, like the goal on Saturday," he replies.
Finally, 'Amber Pyscho' asked: 'What do you think are the missing ingredients to turn Cambridge United from a mid-table side to one competing for the play offs?' and Craig replies: "Our away form, I think, and getting players in.
"I think we need to sort out our away form and the manager probably wants to bring more experienced players in too, but with the money situation he can't do it all at once. We need to stick together and if he can bring in a couple of new faces it will make the squad even stronger."
A determined character who wants to do his best for Cambridge United, Craig will be looking for more good performances and goals this month to earn a longer stay at the Abbey Stadium. We wish him luck.
Andrea Thrussell
*This interview was first published in the programme for the match against Forest Green Rovers on 7th January, 2006.
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