Darren Quinton was present at The Abbey Stadium on Friday to confirm a contract that will keep him at Cambridge United for a further year.

The central midfielder, who has one goal in his professional football career, has played for The U's fifty-seven times over the past three seasons, and alongside Dan Gleeson and Daniel Chillingworth is one of only three players still at The Abbey following relegation from the Football League two years ago.

cambridgeunited.com caught up with Darren on Thursday prior to the contract signing today. Considering the 21 year old only played seven times all season, only a handful of which were under current boss Jimmy Quinn, the threat of not being offered an extended deal was one that Darren was well aware of.

"Before the last few months of the season, I thought it wasn't very likely that I'd be offered a new deal because I'd hardly played. I thought that if I was playing, I was more likely to stay. I said to myself that if I do well in training then I give myself a chance to play, and I may end up staying

"So I did well in training and I started the last game of the year, and I had a good game. So at the end of the season I was pleased with myself."

Quinton clearly impressed his manager; after only one start after Christmas and a few appearances from the bench, 'Quints' now finds himself with a twelve month extension on his time at The Abbey.

Staying at United was clearly always on Quinton's mind, as he told the website that he had not spoken to any other clubs before signing the new deal.

Reflecting on the season just gone from a personal point of view, the twenty-one year old provides refreshing honesty. "At the start of the season I didn't take my chances. I played a few games and when you get chances you need to take them."

An extended run in the first team for CRC proved a catalyst for Quinton's upturn in fortunes, as he admits that "It aided my match fitness and I started to get my confidence back." He also weighed in with one goal in that spell, in the defeat at Wisbech Town in the first game of 2007.

Darren Quinton will be hoping that these times are now behind him, and with another year at the club now secure he can start to look ahead rather than behind.

"From a personal point of view I must try to cement a first team place, and start playing regularly like I was a few years ago. In terms of the team, we can try and build on the run we've put together to end this year.

"I don't know much about the new signings but I'm sure he knows what he's doing. With the right signings we can look at a place in the top half, and you never know, we could even push for the playoffs."

Matt Ramsay

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