Kal Naismith is on a mission to help Bristol City's top young talent to fulfil their potential and not make the same mistakes he did when breaking into the Rangers senior side.
The 30-year-old defender was candid about the regrets he had as a youngster and how he has channelled that disappointment to become the leader he is now both on and off the pitch.
Naismith came through the Rangers academy and had loan spells with Cowdenbeath and Partick Thistle before making his senior debut in a Scottish Challenge Cup win against Brechin City in July 2012. He went on to make 24 appearances for the club but just a year after his debut, agreed to mutually terminate his contract.
Ten years later, Naismith affords himself a moment to reflect on his career and as he puts it "gave himself a mountain to climb." He would move to Accrington Stanley in League Two where he spent two seasons before joining Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town and eventually City.
Manager Nigel Pearson has regularly praised Naismith for his leadership qualities and the influence he has had on the dressing room since his arrival on a free transfer. But it's a part of his game he has developed over his career as he looks to make up for lost time.
Speaking ahead of the game against Stoke City on Saturday, Naismith said: "If I could speak to my younger self now, I regret so much about what I did and how I was as a young lad. I think just growing up and seeing the young lads now, I don't want them to be making the same mistakes that I made.
"That's why when you speak to Tommy Conway and Alex Scott now, they probably find me extremely annoying at times when I'm constantly on them but I just want them to do well and I don't want them to do things that I might have done. If I can help them in any kind of way...
"I always say I don't ever blame the senior pros when I was younger like Lee McCulloch, Lee Wallace but when I started playing for Rangers it was in the third division so all the players left and it was all the young boys that came through so I was still in a very young changing room.
"Then when I started getting my chance and I feel like I needed older lads around to say 'listen, this is how you behave, this is how you train, play and make a career in the game.' Obviously, that's for me to learn and I have done as I've gotten older but I think it's definitely something I've developed through my own experiences."
Expanding on the regrets he had as a young player, Naismith added: "I just turned up to training, thought I would be a professional footballer, trained and went home. I kind of thought I knew better than the coaches that I've seen since. I've apologised to them, not that I was a bad lad. I never had bad manners, never had that.
"I just trained and went home, didn't give my all and it kills me when I see lads doing it now because I think you've got a mountain to climb and lucky enough for me I've done it to some extent.
"I went back down to Accrington and built my way back up but some lads don't do that and they fall out the game and don't take the opportunity that they've got. I was at Rangers I had incredible facilities but I couldn't wait to get home and play the computer or do other stuff that young boys do. I regret a lot of things but it's got me to where I am now and I'm happy."
Naismith's influence on the pitch can't be underestimated. He acknowledges that he's made a number of costly individual mistakes which comes with his progressive and expressive style of play but his performance on Saturday in the victory over Rotherham was clear evidence of what City have been missing in his injury absence.
In the two months Naismith was out with a calf injury, City won just two of their 10 matches including a run of six matches without a victory. He played a key role in Joe Williams' goal against Rotherham when his ball over the top of the defence freed Tommy Conway on the left.
Naismith spoke about his own struggles during his time on the treatment table including why a seemingly innocuous tear took longer to recover than initially anticipated. He added: "It was difficult and frustrating. When we first looked at it, I was meant to be back in three/four weeks.
"There was a tear there. Some people recover quicker than others and I've never really had muscle injuries ever in my career and that's why I say I'm fortunate but it was taking longer than expected and getting the confidence back in it.
"It was extremely frustrating because in my mind and it was probably bad on my part because I was setting targets. I was looking at the fixtures and thinking 'right, I'll definitely be available for that game' and when I missed that game it was so hard to take because I kept setting these targets and missing them so I just had to realise that my body is my body and it will be ready when it is.
"The break helped massively so and Dave (Rennie) put me on a training schedule and I stuck to that and I'm grateful that I've come through and hopefully can kick on."
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