Chris Lakey Fans' favourite Paul McVeigh says he has been given a new lease of life by City boss Paul Lambert - but knows that one step out of place could prove costly.

Chris Lakey

Fans' favourite Paul McVeigh says he has been given a new lease of life by City boss Paul Lambert - but knows that one step out of place could prove costly.

McVeigh has started both of City's League One matches under Lambert and appears to be part of the new manager's favoured starting XI, despite not featuring in either of the two cup competitions.

But the 31-year-old says he will take nothing for granted and the discipline Lambert has instilled on and off the pitch is not to be ignored.

“If you only have discipline either off the field or on the field then it doesn't work, it has to be everywhere,” he said. “I think the manager is the one that sets the standards and you can see every day he comes in and he knows what he wants every day and you know exactly what you have to do every day and it seems to be working.

“The way things are done now everybody knows exactly what they have to do, when they have to do it and you know the implications of not doing it.

“It's good because everyone knows what they have to do and it's obviously paying off on the pitch.”

McVeigh will be hoping to make it three league starts in a row this afternoon when City face Walsall at Carrow Road, but doesn't see his involvement so far under Lambert as an indication he is a first team regular - especially after missing the cup games against Sunderland and Brentford.

“I wouldn't have viewed it as being rested for the cup games,” he said. “I think it's the manager's prerogative who he picks for each game and the fact I have played in the league games is good for me.

“But I would rather have played in the cup games as well - for me I want to play in all the games rather than just playing in the league games.”

McVeigh's career has certainly come full circle: after two seasons struggling to establish himself at Luton Town he got the break he dreamed of when Bryan Gunn offered him a contract. It could have quickly turned sour when Gunn left and Lambert came in, but so far McVeigh has done enough to satisfy not just the manager but also the fans who have retained their love affair with the Northern Irishman.

“It's going well,” he said. “I think since the new manager has come in everyone has had a new lease of life and especially for myself. I didn't play under Bryan Gunn, but it's good to get actually some minutes on the pitch now.

“Obviously it is all about opinions. With Bryan, even though he did give me the chance to sign again I didn't get minutes on the pitch like I wanted to and the same with other players who played under Bryan Gunn but haven't been playing under this manager.

“It's like every manager you play under, you have to try and impress and perform and hopefully you get a chance.

“The only option I had in my mind was signing back here. Even though I said to the manager I would like to come back and train it was always with a view that I would one day get a contract, it was nothing to do with me just coming in and training and go and sign for someone else.

“I think that's probably what Bryan was thinking originally but then at the end I must have impressed him enough to offer me a contract, but it was always in my head that I was going to come in, train, impress and get myself a contract.

“I always thought I would love to come back and play again and the way it's worked out I couldn't have written the script any better - I'm delighted.”

McVeigh always had his own fan club - and things haven't changed.

“I was speaking to family and friends and I can't really believe the reception I've been getting and the fact that it's happening again is a bit surreal,” he said. “I thought I was going to have to really try and win people over and really try and impress them a lot more than I thought I had done, but they obviously have long memories.”