Football is a very competitive sport and everyone is looking for that one small advantage that can help you become the stand-out performer. There are so many players up and down the country having more and more attributes in their physical make-up and it is more challenging to find an aspect of your game that gives you that extra edge.

Craig Mackail-Smith is one of a number of players in the game nowadays that are using psychology to help assist their development on the pitch. England goalkeeper David James is one of the more high profile users of the techniques and it can provide that extra 10% that could make the difference on the pitch.

The Portsmouth shot-stopper is often seen visualising the ball in the warm-up and this is part of the 'imagery' technique. It can also be used to give people confidence when stepping up to the next level and with Peterborough United clinching automatic promotion to Coca-Cola League One, Mackail-Smith knows that any advantage he can gain could become crucial, particularly with how clinical strikers are in this league.

'It was at Dagenham and Redbridge that I started seeing my psychologist. I was having a rough period and my mum was always going on about seeing a psychologist to see if it helped so I linked up with Rob Fisher and he has been brilliant.

'I have been seeing him for the last two years, mostly once a week sometimes longer. We sit down, have a chat and look back over the last seven days, looking at the positives and what needs fine-tuning. I just think any little percentage you can work on that gives you that extra edge in competition is massive.

'Imagery is one of the aspects of psychology and it is a technique I have used. He tells me before games to get into the zone, visualise yourself scoring goals, holding the ball up, running past people and it definitely helps you get in the right frame of mind going into a game.

'I think every player is different and every player has their own way of mentally preparing for a game. It is just different techniques. I think it is a great technique to use, but it depends on the person and how they want to improve themselves and how they feel they need it,' Mackail-Smith said.

The striker has made an excellent start to life in League One with two goals in the 3-0 win over Leyton Orient and he knows that he has to be more clinical, like all the other strikers at the club, if Posh are to be successful at this level.

'We have all noticed that the strikers are far more clinical at this level and that is what we work so hard at in training. I want to be scoring goals at this level and in my mind I want to reach 15 by Christmas and I think it is important to have achievable targets to work towards,' Mackail-Smith added.

Just like most children, Mackail-Smith got into football by kicking a ball around his garden and his rise to becoming a professional footballer has had many twists and turns, but his determination to succeed has yielded the results he set out for.

'I always wanted to be a professional footballer, but I think most kids growing up have that ambition. I have memories of going around my Nan and Grandad's just kicking a football around their garden. I think I kicked a sponge football around the lounge as well, I am sure that went down well.

'I think I joined Herons FC, which was my local football team at the age of about seven and I really enjoyed it. It was great because I was playing football with all my mates. I always wanted to play football, every spare minute I was kicking a ball about.

'I joined Millwall at the age of 10 and was there for a little while but the set-up folded and I went back to Sunday football. I signed for St. Albans and I played mid-week for the under 18 team, but I also played in the senior side when I was 15 or 16-years-old, which was great and really helped me improve, but sadly they didn't want me.

'It benefited me in the end because it set me on the path that has led to me playing for Peterborough. I signed for Arlesey Town and then obviously progressed to Dagenham and Redbridge in the summer of 2004,' Mackail-Smith recalls.

Of course, during his time growing up, Mackail-Smith had a life outside of football and that passion was gardening. He had a job at Homebase and was often pottering around in the garden, when he wasn't kicking a ball around of course.

'I was at college when I was playing football during my teens, but I also worked in Homebase Garden Centre. I used to take plants home to my mum and I used to do all the garden, keeping it nice and tidy, so I suppose that was my expertise. However, if it hadn't worked out on the football front, I still think I would have been involved in the game because I was going to go to university to study Sports Science. I had my eye on being a physiotherapist.

'The decision to go to university was one that I made at Dagenham, but I also knew that I had that self-belief to become a professional footballer and go full-time, so I expressed my desire to do that to the guys at Dagenham and luckily for me, they accommodated me. I have not looked back since then.

'Peterborough came in for me and that was brilliant for me. I play football for enjoyment, everyone wants to play at the highest level that they can and when I heard of the interest from Peterborough I was excited because I had seen Aaron Mclean and George Boyd make the move. It looked like a club that was on the up and it was a chance I really wanted to jump at,' Mackail-Smith said.

Every person that watches Mackail-Smith for the first time will inevitably comment on the striker's incredible work-rate. He never gives less than 100% and will always chase down that lost cause, a trait that will forever endear him to the faithful at London Road. He insists it is the minimum that should be given by a footballer.

'I think it is something that has always been in my game. I have always wanted to work hard, that is the first part of my game. I feel I need to put the effort in and do the running because it is my game. I enjoy it so much it becomes natural to me. I think every other player may be grateful to me for that because it might not be their game.

'The other players can get on the ball and create chances and I think that is why we were so successful as a partnership or as a strike-force last season. Hopefully that can continue into the League One campaign because I believe we can cause problems,' Mackail-Smith added.

The dedication that Mackail-Smith puts in has to be commended too. He always works on the aspects of the game that he feels he needs to improve on and knows that the physical aspect of the game is vitally important, hence why he works tirelessly in the gym.

It is a fine example for the younger players that are coming through the ranks in the Centre of Excellence and under 18 squad at London Road and one that Mackail-Smith hopes a certain trio will heed.

'I have Joshua Jirbandy, Luke Abraham and Sam Gaughran staying at my place at the minute and I am going to go on record and say that they are the messiest kids in the world. They need a bit of discipline on the tidying front, so maybe I can set a good example to them. They are performing very well on the pitch, but domestically they have a long way to go,' Mackail-Smith added.