Ethan Chislett is eager to grasp his big chance with both hands after making his first league start since October on Tuesday night.
The South African-born midfielder was handed a starting opportunity against Ipswich Town, rewarding his work ethic on the training pitch.
“It was great to be back out there with the boys. I’ve been working hard behind the scenes,” said Ethan. "Unfortunately, I cramped up towards the end, potentially due to not playing too much recently, but hopefully I put in a performance that the fans enjoyed.”
As for coping with squad rotation, the attacking midfielder was keen to underline that it is part of the process of being a modern day footballer.
“It’s part and parcel of football to be honest. You need to work on your mind as well as your body. That’s what keeps you motivated and striving for more."
Looking to put our recent defeat behind him, Ethan was keen to highlight the importance of moving straight onto the next game with a vital match coming up against Shrewsbury.
“Besides the two goals, I don’t think Tans (Nik Tzanev) had too much to do (in the Ipswich game), so it’s quite disappointing. But we can’t make excuses, we just have to keep working hard. The best thing after a loss is to get straight back into it."
As a proud South African, Ethan Chislett was quick to highlight just how big a deal the current Africa Cup of Nations is back in his homeland.
The competition has received some negative criticism from media over here due to many African stars missing out on Premier League action, but Ethan said: “It’s massive in Africa. I’ve still got friends and family back in South Africa and they talk it up really well.
"I just think it needs to be viewed more, watched more by other countries, and eventually it’ll get the recognition it deserves.
“You only have to look at the players that are on show, people like (Mohamed) Salah, and Sadio Mane. They’re massive names and sometimes it doesn’t get the respect it deserves."