Jonson Clarke-Harris looking forward to challenge of being Peterborough United captain and will demand a lot from his teammates

Boss Grant McCann has backed to Clarke-Harris to keep the captain's armband he inherited at the end of last season. At the recent fans forum, McCann described him as a “warrior” after revealing that at first he didn’t think the striker had a future at the club.

The main concern was Clarke-Harris’ fitness that he has worked hard to improve since playing through four months of the 2020-21 season with a tear in his calf, that affected his pre-season preparations and held him back for the early part of the Championship season.

Now though, the forward is confident that he is in a good place after a full pre-season under his belt.

He said: “Pre-season has been tough but good, it’s something I’ve needed for the last couple of years. I’ve not missed a session; the boys have worked their socks off.

"I think I’ve come such a long way since last season. I’ve kept myself in good shape since the end of last season. I know where I need to be and I’m hitting all my targets and all the numbers I need to.”

When asked about the decision to make him captain, the man who hit 31 goals the last time Posh were in League One, responded by saying he was ready for the challenge and hopes to lead Posh to a successful season.

He added:

“I enjoy working for the boss and for Cliff and hopefully we can take the positive performances from last season into this year and start off strong.

“I feel like I can do the task (captaincy) well, all the boys get along well and demand high standards and I’m looking forward to it. I remember when I signed, promotion was the target and now it is again.

“It’s going to be tough, just look at all the big clubs in there that are spending money on players. There are teams I don’t feel should be in this division, but they are and it’s going to be really tough. It’ll be a great challenge for us and there will be some competitive games we’re looking forward to.

“We will go into every game to set up and win and we will be working hard to get three points every time.”