Crawley Town's new signing says 'I'm a winner'

As the countdown to the new season continues, new signing Craig is preparing for his first campaign with the Reds and he is looking forward to being out on a football pitch again.

Craig said Reds manager John Yems played a big part in attracting him to the People’s Pension Stadium.

“I’ve known him for a number of years now. He sold me the club and the direction he wanted to go so it was an easy conversation to have,” Craig said.

Having been at the club for under a month, Craig said his new teammates had helped him settle in quickly.

“It’s pre-season, the boys are still trying to find their feet, their touch and everything, but it’s been good so far for me,” he said.

“I’ve been learning every day of people’s strengths, people’s weaknesses, and for me it’s just enjoying the job I’m doing.”

When asked about Crawley’s ambitions ahead of an unpredictable season, Craig replied: “It’s an interesting one, the club finished well last season, so for me first and foremost is to get the shirt, get as many games as possible and let’s see where we can take the club.

“There isn’t any pressure on us, we’re going to take every game as it comes and hopefully we can do the club proud”.

Craig has a wealth of EFL pedigree and believes his experience will be an important asset in a young Crawley side. He said: “I’m a winner, I like to win every game, and I’m a person who likes to put their opinions across and talk to the youngsters . And if I can give any advice then brilliant, but for me it’s just to take every game as it comes.”

Craig has spent most of his career in League One and the Championship, but he recognises the challenges that League Two holds. “For me it’s going to be a hard test. There’s a lot of strong teams in this league, there’s going to be a lot of travelling and a lot of games in short succession.

“It’s going to be a hard time coming but it’s one I’m thoroughly looking forward to.”

The start of this season will be played behind closed doors, as pre-season has been, and Craig acknowledges the importance fans have in football: “It’s going to be difficult of course, you get that buzz from the fans singing our songs and being our 12th man sometimes.

“But it’s a level playing field, everyone’s in the same situation so we’ve just got to get on with it.”

One of the main things Craig is looking forward to is the game time: “For me, selfishly I want to play as many games as possible. Through my career I’ve always played, I love playing on a Saturday and Tuesday night so for me it’s to get as many games as possible.”

Craig could play his first competitive game for Crawley against his beloved Millwall on Saturday in the Carabao Cup.