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By WILL PICKWORTH, SPORTS REPORTER Published: 23: 00 AEDT, 12 March 2026 | Updated: 23: 26 AEDT, 12 March 2026 View comments Last summer, Dom Ball had a decision to make. The midfielder, who counts Tottenham, Rangers, QPR and Ipswich among his former clubs, had played an important role in the Leyton Orient side that reached the League One play-off final. Yet although Ball featured 38 times during the campaign, only 15 of those appearances were starts. Orient offered Ball a new contract. But when the phone rang and Cambridge boss Neil Harris was at the other end of the line, his mind was made up. ‘At this time in my career I wanted someone that says it the way it is, ’ Ball tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘He was straight to the point and said he wanted me to come in and be a massive part of this team. ‘I needed to play games because the last three years, the amount I've played has staggered, partly because of injury. After our phone call, I knew this was the manager I wanted to work under. He sold it to me and it just felt right. ’ Dom Ball has been loving life at high-flying Cambridge United since making the switch from Leyton Orient last summer Ball was quickly won over by Cambridge boss Neil Harris (left). 'He was straight to the point and said he wanted me to come in and be a massive part of this team' So far, Ball’s decision has paid off. With 11 games remaining, Cambridge sit third in League Two. The midfielder - who in a quirk of fate, made his professional debut for Cambridge in January 2015 when on loan from Tottenham - has been central to their push for promotion. Despite a two-month absence in the winter following knee surgery, Ball has played 29 times and captained the side during Michael Morrison’s injury lay-off. Harris’ side are on the march as they look to return to League One at the first time of asking after last season’s relegation. The U's have lost just one of their last 21 matches, conceded the fewest goals in the EFL (28) and boast the strongest home record in League Two. Harris returned for a second spell as manager last February with Cambridge bottom of League One, but despite his efforts he was unable to keep them up. He promised his side would become a ‘completely different animal’ this season and, following a summer overhaul that saw 11 arrivals and 12 departures, those words have proved accurate. ‘It’s been good, ’ Ball says. ‘From about three months into the season, you could see what we were about and how hard we are to beat. If you speak to players from other clubs, they mention how tough we are to break down. ‘That gives you a good base, but we’ve also got quality at the top end. ’ Harris' side are targeting promotion from League Two, having lost just one of their last 21 matches 'From about three months into the season, you could see what we were about and how hard we are to beat, ' says Ball It has been a collective effort, although eight-goal top scorer Ben Knight - nephew of former England cricketer Nick - and goalkeeper Jake Eastwood have attracted praise recently. Eastwood has kept 13 clean sheets over the campaign and is outperforming the expected goals (x G) he 'should' have conceded by 5. 8. Academy graduate Mamadou Jobe, James Brophy and Sullay Kaikai are among others enjoying strong seasons, but in truth contributions have come from across the squad - something that has strengthened team spirit. Thirteen goals have been scored by substitutes, highlighting the depth Harris and director of football Mark Bonner - previously Cambridge manager for three years - have assembled in a squad blending experience and youth. Cambridge’s transformation into a promotion-chasing outfit didn’t happen overnight though. A 2-0 defeat by Notts County at the end of October left them 13th, but since then the U's have taken 44 points from 21 matches. ‘Early on in the season, we were trying to find a way that worked because we basically had a whole new squad, ’ Ball explains. ‘Once we got that sorted, we've gone on this run. The base we needed was that clean sheet mentality and on top of that the quality has shone through because we've got a very good squad. ' Ball is full of praise for Harris, who previously managed Millwall (twice), along with Cardiff City and Gillingham. The former striker has instilled high standards and a strong mentality within the squad to enable a culture shift after claiming last season that his side 'had no backbone or resilience'. Harris has a reputation as an organiser and taskmaster. He has demanded a relentless work ethic, increased accountability and rebuilt belief - while constantly emphasising the importance of clean sheets. ‘From the first day, if things weren't up to the manager's standards, he made us aware, ’ Ball says. ‘There’s no tolerance for mediocrity or sloppiness and he’s brought a winning mentality. Academy graduate Mamadou Jobe is one of the U's players to have impressed this season Winger Sullay Kaikai, formerly of Crystal Palace and Brentford, has chipped in with seven goals in League Two ‘Even the other day (after a 1-1 draw at Accrington Stanley) he wasn’t happy. That’s the standard he’s set and we’ve bought into it. ’ Many of Cambridge’s squad also have promotion-winning experience. Ball is among them, while Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu climbed all the way from the National League to the Premier League with Luton. Elsewhere, 38-year-old skipper Morrison - who began his career at Cambridge in 2005 before returning three years ago - has missed a fair chunk of the season through injury but has still played an important leadership role off the pitch. It all contributes to an environment that is a far cry from last season. ‘We’ve got guys who know what it needs to look and feel like to get promoted, ’ Ball says. ‘That takes time to implement but this is a team who were relegated, so to turn it around so quickly is credit to the manager, staff and players. Everyone has pulled their weight. ’ Cambridge’s revival on the pitch mirrors a wider sense of progress around the club. Their £3. 5million training facility, opened two-and-a-half years ago, is state-of-the-art and represents a major upgrade on the previous base on the same site. Players were once housed in a dated cricket pavilion which the whole squad couldn't fit in; the open-plan changing rooms in the new building are spacious and designed to foster a sense of community. Analysis sessions, once conducted on a laptop balanced on the top of an upside-down bin, now take place in a dedicated auditorium. The club chef previously had to cook meals at the stadium before driving them over, but a modern kitchen now sits on site alongside a fully equipped gym. Cambridge opened a £3. 5million training facility two-and-a-half years ago, a major upgrade on their old HQ 'This is a team who were relegated, so to turn it around so quickly is credit to the manager, staff and players' Photos of memorable moments in the club’s recent history and scenic images of Cambridge decorate the walls in the new building, helping connect the squad with the city while providing daily motivation. Other inspirational tools introduced by Harris ahead of this season include a clean sheet and set-piece goals board, where photos of either are added once they are achieved. Players wear WHOOP bands, while a partnership with front-of-shirt sponsor Brooks Running provides footwear to players to support training and recovery. Last summer, meanwhile, Cambridge became the first professional club to publicly announce a partnership with an AI company to manage contracts. There are also ambitions to either redevelop the Abbey Stadium or move to a new home in the future. ‘There’s a good feel about the place, ’ says Ball, whose connection to the club is made stronger by his loan spell 11 years ago.   ‘We’re in the fourth division, but when you turn up to training it feels very professional. The club is run brilliantly and the people involved are great. After last season it would be great for us to have success this year. ’ That success depends on a huge 11 games, including home matches against promotion rivals Swindon, Notts County and Salford, along with a trip to table-toppers Bromley. It promises to be an intense few months, particularly as Harris’ side face a demanding schedule of eight games in 30 days starting this weekend. Ball, who has previously won promotion with Rangers and Ipswich (twice), is relishing the challenge, even if he expects plenty of twists along the way. Ball is targeting a fourth promotion in his career, having previously gone up with Rangers and Ipswich (twice) After a difficult 2024-25, there's a feelgood factor around Cambridge's Abbey Stadium again ‘The last 11 games are all going to be different, ’ he says. ‘This period will bring challenges, and our mentality and character will be massive in finding ways to win. ‘It won’t be straightforward, but it’ll be good fun - and we’re in a good place to go and get the points we need. ’ For now, Ball insists the focus remains purely on the next game - but his motivation is clear. ‘The moment when you get promoted, the days after and the trips with the lads are special, ’ he concludes. ‘When I look back on my career, the three moments I remember most are promotions. There’s no better feeling - and if we were able to do it with this group, it would be incredible. ’

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