Craig Mackail-Smith QA Exclusive.

After a great start to the season for Peterborough United we caught up with Craig Mackail-Smith. We discu sed his intial feelings when joning Posh, how he felt when promotion was achieved in League One and League Two and about what he felt went wrong last season.THE POSH BLOG: Until you signed for Peterborough you had spent time down in the non-league system. Were you initially wary of the step-up or excited by the prospect of playing in the Football League?CRAIG: I was always confident in my ability and always believed that I was good enough to play higher. Its been great that Peterborough have given me the opportunity to progre s and I hope I have repaid them with my performances on the pitch.THE POSH BLOG: During your time in non-league you started to really make a name for yourself at Dagenham, where you Brett Hull Kids Jersey had an impre sive scoring record, what was your time at The Daggers like and are you pleased to see them doing so well currently?CRAIG: I wont ever forget my time spent at Dagenham, the fans and the club were really good to me and its always the first result I look for after games.THE POSH BLOG: You joined at a similar time to George Boyd and Aaron McLean who you seem to have a really good relationship with, on and off the pitch. Has this helped you during your time at Peterborough?CRAIG: Yes this has helped. I knew Boydy and Aaron through playing against them in non league; it was great to join up with them at Peterborough where we have been part of some great succe s at the club. There are a lot of the players who have come through non league (to Peterborough) and been given a chance at higher league football. Our relationship off the pitch is great. We all get on very well and I think this shows on the pitch.The Mac-Attack have become fans favourites since joining The Posh.THE POSH BLOG: You obviously adapted to the higher level of football straight away and became a real fans favourite at London Road. Were you surprised by how comfortable you found the step up or did you always believe in your ability to Henrik Zetterberg Women Jersey make the jump up the divisions with ease?CRAIG: I always believed in my own ability and it was just a case of hoping someone would take a chance on me and Peterborough were the club that took that chance.THE POSH BLOG: In your first full season at Peterborough we achieved promotion. What were your emotions like when promotion was gained at Hereford?CRAIG: I was on a high it was my first full season in profe sional football and to achieve promotion was an unbelievable feeling and was looking forward to life in League One!THE POSH BLOG: After this promotion The Posh completed back-to-back promotions at Colchester. Would you say this was the best moment of your career to date?CRAIG: There are not many profe sionals that can Albin Grewe Kids Jersey say they have had back to back promotions and the feeling that I had at Colchester was one that I will carry with me. It is definitely one of the best moments to date in my football career!C-M-S was a key player in Peterborough Uniteds promotion from League One.THE POSH BLOG: Of course, the next season wasnt such an enjoyable one in terms of results. As a player, why do you feel the squad struggled with life in the Championship?CRAIG: Behind the scenes it was difficult for the team to play Championship football. There were several managers who each had different styles and views on the game. It was difficult for the team to keep changing their style of play and sticking to it as the management would change so frequently. If the team and management were settled then we may have been able to stay up in the Championship.THE POSH BLOG: Still on last season; when Jim Gannon came in it seemed, to most Posh fans, you were a little un-fairly treated by him and regularly found yourself having to play as a substitute. What was that like when you had made yourself such a key player under all the previous regimes?CRAIG: It was difficult not to play as much as what I was used to when Jim Gannon came along as the manager. As a player I was frustrated at not being able to play as much as I wanted to but at the end of the day I had to respect his decisions as he was the manager.THE POSH BLOG: Moving away from the Championship we have started this season well under the management of Gary Johnson. He seems a really likable character and has endeared himself to most of the Posh fans already; have you enjoyed working with Johnson so far?CRAIG: Gary is different to the previous managers I have worked under at Peterborough. I am really enjoying playing under him. He has brought a new lease of life into the players and it shows what his reputation is like with the type of players he has signed to the club.Mackail-Smith has been on fine form so far this season.THE POSH BLOG: What do you believe this squad can achieve this season; do you believe that come May we will be the title winners?CRAIG: From what I have seen so far the league is very open. I feel if a team can go on a 10+ game run there will be a Gustav Nyquist Kids Jersey gap forming at the top and I feel our squad is capable of doing that. I still feel we havent seen the best of the squad yet and with the fans backing the team as much as they have in recent games our displays to the crowd will only get better!THE POSH BLOG: Finally, I think most Posh fans would love to know where Danny DeKeyser Men Jersey you get so much energy from! The amount of running you do, every game, is unbelievable. Did you have to work on this side of your game or is it something that came naturally to you?CRAIG: I do have to work on my fitne s levels and I take my diet seriously, I very rarely drink alcohol in and out of the season and I work out a lot after training and when I am at home. When we have a break in May/June I only allow myself a week off as my body needs to be in playing mode all year round, if I take more than a week off I dont have a good pre season. I do try to store as much energy as po sible in between games as I give every game I play 100% regardle s of illne s, injury or anything else that may try and prevent me from playing.I would like to thank Craig for doing this interview and, on behalf of all Posh fans, hope he keeps up his terrific form all season long.