Barnsley FC midfielder Matty Craig on his debt to Doncaster Rovers

Until joining Doncaster for the second half of last season, Craig’s experience of men’s football was extremely limited.

His only first-team appearance for parent club Tottenham Hotspur came as a 77th-minute substitute at Leeds United on the final day of the 2022-23 Premier League season. He also played four times against lower-league opposition for Tottenham’s under-21s in the Football League Trophy.

But his time with Doncaster went so well that when they missed out on promotion – beaten on penalties in the play-off semi-finals – Craig stepped up to League One without them, loaned to Barnsley.

He has slotted in well to third-tier football and says his time at Doncaster is a big reason why.

"When you go on loan for the first time I wouldn't say you're nervous but you're a bit unsure what the procedures around it all are," said the London-born 21-year-old. "It's still new to you, the senior aspect of it.

"But I had that confidence in myself that I was pretty confident of doing as well as I did, probably.”

Craig started 20 matches in the second half of last season as Rovers were transformed from outsiders for relegation to play-off qualifiers as the division’s form team of the season half of the season.

"With how the Doncaster loan went it did give me more confidence again in thinking I could push myself again,” recalled Craig.

"I'm very grateful to the Doncaster players and staff for helping me to get to that stage with it being my first loan."

The biggest difference between highly technical academy football and professional league games is the physicality, but Craig says he is used to it now with the help of some uncompromising training sessions.

"I'd say when you first come into senior football there's a few games where it takes a bit of adaptation because it is quite different from youth to senior football but now I'd say I'm quite well acclimatised.

"There are moments when we're training when it gets a bit feisty but it's enjoyable for everyone and there aren't too many big challenges."