YOUNG midfielder Matthew Craig is hoping his experience towards the top end of the table at Doncaster last year will help him push Barnsley to promotion this year.

The 21-year-old defensive midfielder played once for Spurs in the Premier League, against Leeds, who were relegated that day, in May last year. He then played 20 games on loan to League Two Doncaster Rovers earlier this year, losing in the play-off semi-final.

Craig hopes that experience will aid him this year.

He told the Chronicle: “At Doncaster last year we ended up in the play-offs and we were pushing forward to that for the second half of the season.

“That’s something that can only be beneficial (this season).

“It’s a little bit different as here the expectation is to be up there anyway.

“Whereas last year was a bit more of rising into it.

“I think it’s a good experience for me to be around that.”

He has mainly played in front of the defence this season, and he knows he can learn a lot from those players in front of him.

Craig added: “There’s a lot of good midfielders here.

“From my point of view I’ve got to take in as much as possible.

“A lot of them have very different qualities so it’s about learning from them.

“I think with Conor Hourihane, he’s played in the Premier League so it’s really beneficial to have someone like that in the squad.

“I’ve got a lot to learn from him.”

The Reds sit third in League One but the Spurs loanee admits it’s not something the players look at.

“It’s predominantly just on a game-to-game basis,” he added.

“You’ve got to see where it takes you at the end of that.

“I just want to play as well as possible and play as many games as possible.”