Cambridge United youngster Mamadou Jobe keen to become regular first-team player after picking up Love Cambridge Player of the Month award for April

There are few things that football supporters are more fond of than seeing ‘one of their own’ playing in the first team.

The Cambridge United academy has certainly served the senior side well in recent years – and if Mamadou Jobe’s performances of late are anything to go by, the conveyor belt remains in good working order.

Having joined the club as a second-year scholar, there has always been plenty of talk about the centre-back’s potential as he embarked on loan spells at St Neots Town, Concord Rangers, St Albans City, Maidstone United and most recently Gateshead.

The 21-year-old earned rave reviews on Tyneside – and his displays were good enough to convince Garry Monk to recall Jobe from his Vanarama National League stint ahead of the Good Friday trip to Barnsley.

It was United’s first outing since shipping 10 goals without reply in defeats to Lincoln City and Reading, yet Monk had been convinced to throw Jobe straight in at the deep end for his Football League debut at Oakwell.

A daunting prospect no doubt, but Jobe flourished as part of a back three that kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory that proved to be the springboard towards Sky Bet League One survival.

Reflecting on that afternoon in south Yorkshire, Jobe said: “There’s always nerves when it comes to making your debut, especially when you’re making it in League One against such a big club like Barnsley. But you’ve got to do the best you can to forget about that and remember that everyone is human and you’re all playing on the same pitch.

“You’ve got to believe in yourself and not let your emotions get hold of you. It’s not easy because it’s a big deal when you play your first game.

“But if you start thinking too much about the teams and players you’re up against, it will become too much. All of a sudden you’re not just playing against an opponent, you’re playing against yourself as well.”

Wise words indeed for someone so young and inexperienced – and so it should come as no surprise that Jobe went on to prove that his first outing at Barnsley was no fluke.

He featured in the next three games against Wigan Athletic, Blackpool and Charlton Athletic before seeing his season ended early after being the victim of a headbutt by Bristol Rovers striker Chris Martin, who escaped a red card at the time but was subsequently hit with a four-match suspension.

Jobe, understandably, was not keen to dwell on an incident that left him with concussion – something that he has now ‘90 per cent’ recovered from.

Instead, upon picking up his Love Cambridge Player of the Month award for April in Market Square next to the Cambridge Standing Tall Giraffe – as voted for by fans – the Harlow-born defender is looking towards establishing him further within the United ranks next term.

He added: “I’ve got to come back raring to go. I need to be in good shape and as strong as I can be.

“I feel like I belong at the level and I’ve shown that I can play in it, but I’ve got to go on and establish myself with my performances. It’s like the hard work starts now. I joined the club as a second-year scholar and it’s massive to now be part of the first team.”

And with a head coach like Monk around for guidance, Jobe believes that his experience of playing in the Premier League can only serve him well.

He cites the 1-1 draw with Charlton on 13 April as the perfect example, when Monk was on hand to pass on some advice after a tough first half up against the Addicks’ Connor Wickham.

“I had to prove myself to the manager. He said that it was all in my hands to show that I’m good enough to be in the squad and in the team as well,” he said.

“The boss has been top level with us. He’s helped with tips and tricks to win battles with strikers.

“He’s helped when it comes to facing bigger strikers, like at Bristol Rovers and Charlton. There was some big strikers, but he passed on advice to help us get the better of our opponent.

“He said to me and Zeno (Ibsen Rossi) at half-time that it was a great game for us two (against Charlton). He knows what we can do with the ball-playing side of the game, it’s the physical side of things that we needed to show. He wanted us to show we could do it and I think we did it in the second half.”

Cambridge is playing host to the gentle giants of the African plains, with 31 decorated giraffe sculptures galloping onto the city’s streets! Alongside them will be over 60 Mini Gs, each created by local schools and community groups. The trail runs until 2 June. For more information click here.

Cambridge United has teamed up with Cambridge BID to give supporters the chance to vote for their Love Cambridge Player of the Month, supported by the Cambridge Independent. Sponsors Love Cambridge is part of Cambridge BID, a collaboration of 1,200 businesses working together to promote and improve the city of Cambridge.

What I like about Cambridge

Q: What do you like to do in Cambridge?

MJ: “I’ve been into the city a couple of times since coming back from my loan. I’ve been to Sticks’n’Sushi after games, that’s really nice.

“I’d like to get into the city more and hopefully I’ll do that over the next few months. It seems like a really great place to be.”

Q: What does it mean to win an award voted for by fans?

MJ: “It’s massive. It shows how well they think I’ve been doing recently and that I’ve been putting in the hard work with my performances.”