Scotland Under 21s defender Ibane Bowat admits he was delighted to sign a new deal at Fulham just a couple of months after a nightmare mauling in the Netherlands.
Bowat played at the heart of defence for Scot Gemmill's side this week as they started their European qualifiers with a 1-0 defeat in Spain after conceding a late goal.
The 20-year-old is highly thought of at the Craven Cottage club and they rewarded him with a new two-year contract and then immediately sent him on loan to the Austrian Bundesliga with TSV Hartberg.
Bowat was also on loan abroad last season too when he ended up at Den Bosch.
However, the club were going through a terrible time on the pitch which culminated in a disastrous and record-breaking 13-0 defeat at PEC Zwolle.
But Bowat reckons that harsh lesson actually did him a favour after bouncing back.
He said: "I've just signed a new two year deal with an option for a third.
"Being part of a Premier League team is fantastic for me and Fulham have always treated me very well. It's a family club.
"I just thought that extending my contract and then going out on loan abroad again would be the right step for me.
"I had a six month spell with Den Bosch in the Dutch second division. It was tough, but for me it went well because I got a lot of minutes.
"But yes, that defeat at PEC Zwolle was a shocker!
"It was one of those games where everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong.
"There had been some problems internally within the club and the preparation leading up to the game wasn't the best.
"We had a lot of injuries and had to play younger players that weren't experienced.
"At half time we were 7-0 down I thought...wooh this is tough!
"But it's part of football. It's about how you react to a game like that.
"It made me mentally stronger as well and it was a lesson in overcoming adversity."
Bowat has bounced back to become a mainstay in the Hartberg side with the minnows currently in fifth place in the Austrian top flight.
And he's learned plenty from some of the stars at Marco Silva's Premier League side.
He said: "During the summer, TSV Harberg contracted Fulham. They had seen me play last season and were interested and I just thought...why not?
"I'm only 45 minutes away from Max Johnston who plays at Sturm Graz so it will be interesting when we play each other.
"I'm just starting German lessons now, but it is a bit of a culture shock for me because I was born and brought up in London and now I am in this small town with a population of 6,000 people, so it is a bit of a change!
"But I decided to go there to prove I can adapt to these kinds of places and show that wherever I go I can perform.
"I did it last season in the Netherlands and I had no problems there.
"The Austrian Bundesliga is very physical and intense, while in the Netherlands it was more technical. I think both are a good level of football.
"It's a step up for me, but I am enjoying it and I'm getting a lot of game time which is great for my career.
"At Fulham, Tim Ream plays in my position and I have been lucky enough to train with him. I have watched him play a lot. Tosin Adarabioyo is a great player too.
"And when you train against players like Willian - who I used to watch when I was younger - is a great experience as was marking Aleksandar Mitrovic in training when he was at the club.
"I'm still young and I have learned a lot from training with these guys.
"My aim is to have a good season in Austria, get as many minutes as possible and improve and then I will see where I am this time next year. I just need to keep my head down and focus on my football."
