MATTY Craig says his spell out of the Barnsley team has helped him build ‘mental resilience’ and work out what he needs to do to get to the highest level.
The midfielder, who signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur for the whole campaign, started nine of the first ten league games of the season.
But, after some poor results led to a change in personnel in the side during the last international break, he has not started any of the last ten matches in all competitions.
The 21-year-old has come off the bench four times but stayed on it in the last three matches.
Craig told the Chronicle: “It’s been a good experience so far at Barnsley.
“I am pushing to get back in the team.
“You always learn stuff no matter what’s happening.
“You can take lessons, push on and learn.
“Being out of the side builds that mental resilience and lets you reset a bit in terms of what you want to achieve and where you want to get to.”
Craig is one of a number of players who played often early in the season but have now found themselves out of the squad or on the bench.
Some of them could be given a chance against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup on Saturday when the team is expected to change significantly.
Craig said: “Whenever someone isn’t in the team you are trying your best to get back into it. When the team is going well you have to push even harder.”
He added: “You are always going to have spells when it’s not going as you want but you have to try to work through it, work harder and hopefully your luck will change.
“There are quite a lot of good midfielders here.
“The manager has just told me to keep working hard. At the moment the team is playing well which makes it a little bit more difficult.”
Head coach Darrell Clarke has a plethora of midfielders to choose from.
Captain Luca Connell and top-scorer Adam Phillips tend to be ever-presents when fit while the other place in the midfield three has been rotated between Craig, Jon Russell, Vimal Yoganathan and Kelechi Nwakali.
Clarke told the Chronicle: “It’s a strong area of the pitch. I didn’t want to be making too many changes to a team who performed well over five or six games.
“It’s been hard to get in the team, maybe not so much after the first half against Wigan on Saturday.
“I think lads know the team has been performing so they have to step up in training, wait for the opportunity then take it. Players are waiting patiently.”
Clarke did not want to comment on Craig’s future and whether he could return to Spurs in January.
Matty was an unused substitute for Tuesday’s game at home to Reading, for whom his twin brother Michael started.
