Mark Fotheringham says he is determined to find himself a place in City's crowded midfield this season.

Mark Fotheringham says he is determined to find himself a place in City's crowded midfield this season.

The Scot has made an impressive return to the City camp after the summer break, but still faces competition to hold down a regular first team spot, with Youssef Safri, Jimmy Smith and Julien Brellier all be wanting to stake their own claims.

The competition, though, is nothing new to the 23-year-old Fotheringham, who played a full 90 minutes in the 2-0 win over Apeldoorn in Holland on Saturday.

“You look back at my career so far and I've always had that,” said Fotheringham. “At Celtic I had Paul Lambert, Alan Thompson, Chris Sutton and Neil Lennon. I went to Germany and I had the captain of Mali and the German U21 captain, so I've been used to that wherever I've been. Last year we had Dickson in and Saf's there as well, so to be honest it brings the best out of me.

“And the coaches have seen me come back and I'm raring to go. I feel good and am just looking forward to getting to the start of the season.”

Fotheringham has clearly been busy over the summer, with manager Peter Grant last week praising him for fitness levels.

“I'm really enjoying it,” he said. “It's good to be away with the boys and the spirits are good so we're all enjoying it and are trying new formations, which is good.

“I've just really been doing the programmes that Dave Carolan has given us, but this has probably been the fittest I've felt going into pre-season. It's just been disappointing to miss the Exeter game with my blisters, but really I've just been working my socks off all summer and I'm raring to go.”

The 2-0 win over Apeldoorn was City's third pre-season win of the summer, and Fotheringham said winning games was a good habit to get into.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “It's always good to win games and that's the important thing and why we're here so to get the win is a booster.

“And because you're getting early goals and that and because you're tired it's good to keep the ball whereas the first half of these games are usually frantic because the teams we play want to put one over us because we are a Championship team and were in the Premiership.”