A pacy left-sided player, Courtney Pitt came through the youth ranks at Chelsea with the likes of Carlton Cole, John Terry and Jody Morris, and in 2001 opted to join former Chelsea coach Graham Rix at First Division side Portsmouth for a tribunal set fee of £200,000 plus add-ons.

A regular in his first season with 39 league appearances and three goals, Pitt failed to make an appearance in 2002-03 under new boss Harry Redknapp as he brought in new players and Pompey earned promotion to the Premiership.

Loans at Luton and Coventry followed before he was reunited with Rix, now manager at Oxford United, in March 2004. However he was released at the end of that season and spent a season at Boston before joining the U's on trial in September 2006. He quickly earned a contract to the end of that season and has since established himself as a key member of the team.

A player with quick feet and not afraid to shoot from distance, Courtney spent most of last season in a wingback role but still got forward to set up goals and score the odd screamer himself.

Surprisingly released by Jimmy Quinn at the end of the season, 'Courts' was brought back to the club by new boss Gary Brabin in July 2008 and United's longest-serving player is likely to play in his accustomed role as a winger this season.