The Big Interview: York City’s Courtney Pitt (From York Press)

The Big Interview: York City’s Courtney Pitt

9:59am Wednesday 17th February 2010 in

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Promotion as champions is the mantra told to DAVE Flett by York City’s new recruit Courtney Pitt.

FORMER Barcelona and Monaco target Courtney Pitt is hoping to avoid Blue Square Premier play-off final agony for a third successive year.

The York City transfer window signing has endured Wembley woe during the past two seasons as his former club Cambridge United were pipped to a place in the Football League by Devon pair Torquay and Exeter.

Pitt played the full match during 2008’s 1-0 defeat against Exeter and completed 62 minutes before being replaced last year as the U’s lost 2-0 to Torquay.

Despite his previous disappointments, the 28-year-old winger would love another trip to north London this season as his new club look strong contenders for a play-off place.

He admitted, however, that targeting the title, while it is still a possibility, would be his preference.

The former Chelsea trainee said: “I was glad to play in both finals because you don’t get to play at Wembley every season, even if I have done for the last two and have a good chance of getting there again. You have to try to enjoy it but, unfortunately, we did not perform on either occasion with Cambridge.

“It would be good to make it third time lucky but we’ve still got a chance of winning the league.

“You have to try to grab that opportunity while you can because the play-offs are a lottery. The two-legged semi-final is hard enough, let alone winning at Wembley.”

Should City play under the arch for a second consecutive campaign, they will be hoping for a better showing than the 2-0 Trophy defeat to Stevenage and Pitt would also want to erase the memory of a disappointing individual display there last season.

He said: “I did well the first time Cambridge got to the final but I lacked a bit of fitness last year. I didn’t do myself justice.

“I am my own biggest critic and feel like if I don’t play well, it means the team won’t play well.”

A decade ago, there were few lining up to criticise Pitt, as he caught the eye in a Chelsea youth team, captained by John Terry.

Barcelona sent over scouts to run the rule over the Paddington-born teenager and Monaco went one step further, offering money to take the player to France.

Then Blues boss Gianluca Vialli rejected the bid but Pitt does not harbour any regrets about missing out on a glamorous move to Monte Carlo.

He said: “Barcelona came to watch me when I was 17 or 18 and Monaco made a bid. Chelsea turned it down so I didn’t have the chance to think about what a move there might have been like but my mum still has the Sunday Mirror cutting in a scrapbook.

“At that age, you think you will go on and play for Chelsea and I was just happy training with their world-class players every day.”

Pitt shared a changing-room and pitch time for the reserves with the likes of Terry, Gianfranco Zola, Marcel Desailly and Eidur Gudjohnsen at the turn of the century.

And, having witnessed Terry’s development first hand, the tricky winger feels he was always destined for the top.

He also expressed sympathy for the underfire centre-back, following his loss of the England captaincy after recent revelations concerning his marital affair.

Pitt said: “JT was always going to be brilliant. He was coached well and always worked hard, putting in extra training.

“He’s a natural leader and you could see he had the potential to captain England. I feel sorry for him now.

“Anybody can make a mistake and it’s a bit harsh to bring your private family life into your professional career. That’s what happens though when you are a player in the spotlight like him.”

Pitt has remained in contact with the likes of England international Carlton Cole, Leon Knight and Robert Wolleaston from his Stamford Bridge days and has also enjoyed being reunited with another ex-Blues team-mate Neil Barrett at Bootham Crescent.

The pair played at Portsmouth together too and Pitt said: “As well as being with Chelsea schoolboys together, I also played with Neil in my county team when I was 14.

“He was actually a forward back then but he never scored. He’s much better as a workman-like midfielder.

“It seems like we’ve been following each other around for years and he’s a good player and a decent lad. It helps knowing players when you arrive at a new club.

“I played with Michael Gash at Cambridge as well and Richard Pacquette used to live five minutes away from my mum’s house so I’ve known him since we were younger.”

Pitt cites ex-Chelsea coaches Jim Duffy and Graham Rix as major influences on his early career with the latter taking him to Portsmouth on his appointment as Pompey boss in 2001. After failing to make the first-team breakthrough at Chelsea, he scored three goals in 39 Championship appearances during his first full season at the Fratton Park club.

But his career stagnated under Harry Redknapp, failing to make another senior outing during the next two years of his contract.

Pitt, nevertheless, played on the south coast with the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Paul Merson, Robert Prosinecki and Peter Crouch, who he became good friends with after living in the same complex.

About his Pompey experience, Pitt said: “Chelsea offered me a new three-year contract but I turned it down to go to Portsmouth for the opportunity of first-team football. I was only 19 but I felt I was ready to do that and progress my career.

“I played a lot of games during the first season and it was brilliant but then it became hard when Harry Redknapp was manager. He brought in a lot of players and, to be fair, they were all quality signings.

“I wanted to play and I didn’t handle the situation as well as I should have done looking back. Matthew Taylor came in on the left flank and he was a very good player – a natural athlete who never got injured.

“I don’t bear a grudge though. Everyone has their own opinions and, as a manager, you make decisions to try to help the team make progress.

“After Harry Redknapp took over, Portsmouth won the Championship title so he clearly did a good job. He’s a man who wants his own team wherever he goes and very few players survive.

“He felt I needed to learn the game a bit more and that’s why I went out on loan to Luton. I then got injured and, when I came back, the club were in the Premiership so it was even harder to get back in.”

After another loan spell with Coventry, Pitt dropped down the divisions, plying his trade at Oxford and Boston before moving to Cambridge, where he has spent the last four-and-half years and the 5ft 7in left-footer admitted a move from the Abbey Stadium was probably overdue.

He said: “I’ve had a few chances to leave Cambridge before and, maybe I should have gone before now, but I enjoyed my time there. We were unlucky not to be promoted and I thought we were definitely the best team in the league last season.

“I think they are suffering a hangover now from the last two seasons and will bounce back.

“York look to have a very good squad with a lot of players in their mid-20s which is the right age to kick on. Cambridge have got a few younger boys now and are in a transitional stage.”

Pitt enjoyed his first taste of senior action since New Year’s Day as a substitute on his City debut during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Ebbsfleet.

“You need the competition to achieve things in this league,” he said.

“I just want to get in the team, play regularly and help the club win promotion.”