Rob Atkinson says he has reaped the rewards from being left out of the Bristol City squad in December because it helped him develop the mental side of his game.
The Bristol City defender fell victim to a sickness bug going around the camp before Christmas meaning he was left out of the squad for three matches. He then returned to the bench for two games before being left out entirely again in the 2-1 defeat against Stoke City.
Pearson came under criticism for the decision with stand-in central defender Andy King making an error for the Potters' equaliser on the stroke of half-time. After the game, the City manager pinpointed a lack of trust in Atkinson as the main reason why he was left out of the squad.
