A year ago, Ollie Cooper was left bruised and battered on a weekly basis as he learned his trade in League Two with Newport County.
And yet, that eye-opening experience is one that served him better than anyone could have hoped for, with Cooper going on to be a key figure for Swansea City in the Championship while also earning his first ever call-up to Wales' senior squad.
It's been quite the 12 months for the 23-year-old, who had to be patient during the earlier stages of his professional career before eventually getting the chance to play regularly with Newport last term.
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"It's what I needed, to kind of get away from Swansea, to go out and play regular first-team football," he said of his stint at Rodney Parade.
"I spent a lot of time in the season before on the bench and I just knew that I couldn't do that again. For me and for my development, I needed to get out. So obviously Newport was perfect for me in terms of, it's only down the road, I still got to stay at home, I still had the manager coming to watch the games.
"If you looked at me at the start of that season to where I am now, I feel like I've made a massive progression, both physically and mentally, just the whole game has improved.
"I think I've probably shocked a lot of people. At the start of the season I don't think anyone expected me to be sat here (in the Wales camp). But it just shows that how far I've come since the start of the season and I just want to keep progressing. The next step for me now is getting myself on the pitch."
Indeed, few would have predicted Cooper would make such an impact with the Swans this term, although, since being handed his first league start of the campaign at Stoke City on the final day of August, the attacker has never looked back.
Fast forward to the present, and Cooper has chalked up 36 first-team appearances under Russell Martin this season, scoring six goals, one of which came in a memorable 2-0 win over local rivals Cardiff City.
Having been determined to establish himself as a squad player when he returned to Swansea last summer, Cooper admits his second-half showing as a substitute at Middlesbrough in August served as a real breakthrough moment in his pro career.
"Being away on loan last season, I was coming into pre-season with the mindset that I wanted to stay at Swansea, I wanted to do whatever I could in pre-season to show what I could do," he explained.
"I managed to get into the squad on the bench. It took a while before I managed to get on the pitch, but [my aim] was just to play for Swansea, get as many minutes as I can, get as many goals as I can and get as many assists as I could.
"We played the Middlesbrough game and I came on for the second half, and, the next game, I started against Stoke. After that, I stayed in and around the team, I played a lot of minutes, but that was probably the game where [Martin] fully allowed me to go on the pitch and show people what I can do.
"If you'd asked me at the start of the season whether I'd be in this situation with Wales having played however many games for Swansea, I'd have said 'OK, very unlikely, but you never know'.
"It's been an amazing season for me personally, breaking into the team, playing and I'm just enjoying what I'm doing. I enjoy being on the pitch, I enjoy playing for Swansea."
Such has been Cooper's rise over the last year, Rob Page called up the Swansea academy product to feature on the standby list for Wales at the World Cup in Qatar.
It afforded the youngster the inimitable opportunity to train with the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, and, a familiar face in Joe Allen, for whom Cooper has nothing but admiration.
"It (World Cup) was just an amazing experience," said Cooper. "Going over there, meeting the players, training with everyone without the pressure of games, it allowed me to be a part of it without that pressure. It allowed me to relax and enjoy it.
"When I came here, I was prepared, I already knew the players, I already been involved in training, I already knew what to expect. It just allowed this experience to be a lot easier."
And on the true influence of Swansea team-mate Allen, Cooper said: "I think the big one, Joe Allen, I've spoken a lot to him personally at Swansea saying that it had always been a dream to play with him.
"I managed to do that at Swansea, the next step then was getting the chance to do that with Wales, unfortunately that's not the case but hopefully I can follow in his footsteps and have a career like he's had at both club and international level.
"I've watched him play over the years for a number of different clubs. For him to come back, I remember the first game playing with him, I was just in awe. In training every day I'm just so lucky to be with him.
"He's always someone that people go to and speak to. He's someone I talk to and ask for advice, he's always there to give you that little bit of advice, especially before and after games. He's been massive, especially this season, my breakthrough season with Swansea.
"He just makes it look effortless doesn't he? His work-rate off the ball, his willingness to put in a tackle. He's a similar height to me. If I can see him doing it, that's what I want to do as well."
Now in the Welsh set-up with the chance of getting minutes under his belt, Cooper is bidding to be part of a new era as Rob Page's side kick-start their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with matches against Croatia and Latvia.
"Coming away all you want to do is play. I've had the experience of going away but not being a part of it," he added. "Now I've had the experience being a part of it and now it's just about getting on the pitch.
"So I'm going to do everything I can in training to try and prove myself and to make sure that if I am given the opportunity to play that I'm ready to take it."
Cooper's meticulous attention to detail and willingness to graft has ensured he is riding the crest of a wave at present after a somewhat slow start to his professional career.
But the uncapped Welshman says he will stick to tradition by treating himself and his girlfriend to either a Five Guys or a Chinese takeaway should he be handed the honour of donning the red jersey of Wales for the first time in the coming days.
"Maybe. Depends if I can say that, yeah, Five Guys or Chinese. Me and the missus will normally go home after a game and treat ourselves," he said of his personal tradition.
"I think I'll have to wait until the end of the camp after the Latvia game. On the way home, I'll probably be picking up Five Guys. Can't break tradition, can I?"
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