Bullish Rubin Colwill wants to rack up the games for Cardiff City next season under new boss Erol Bulut as he aims for a play-off push and "exciting times" for the Bluebirds.
After bursting on to the scene with Cardiff, the playmaker endured a horrendous, injury-hit campaign last year. Having seen his stock rise so sharply, it was disheartening for him to be reduced to a bit-part role and long periods on the physio's table.
But his talent and potential remains unquestioned. He is looking forward to getting a full pre-season under his belt, as well as a camp with Wales' under-21s, before hitting the ground running with a new manager in situ at Cardiff City Stadium next term.
"I just want to stay fit and play as much as I can," said Colwill, undertaking his press duties with Wales. "Cardiff, we've definitely got the potential to be pushing for the play-offs. That's where we need to aim, really. That would be my goal for the team and for myself.
"I just want to play football. I just love playing football and play the highest level I can and play as much as I can. I think sometimes we get caught up on putting too many set goals on things. I just want to play the highest level I can."
Not only was it a stop-start year for Colwill last year, it was a season which was punctuated by two managerial changes for Cardiff, with Steve Morison and Mark Hudson both getting the sack mid-season before Sabri Lamouchi's contract was not renewed after helping the club avoid relegation.
Now Bulut, formerly of Alanyaspor, Fenerbahce and Gaziantep, is the new man in charge. The club hope it signals a change in fortunes after two dismal campaigns in which City were scrapping at the wrong end of the table. Colwill hopes for the same, too.
"He's looking like a good appointment," the 21-year-old said of Bulut. "Hopefully he can add that spark we didn't have last season and that extra grit and determination we need.
"It'll be interesting to go back and do a full pre-season and see what he's about. So it's exciting times.
"I've not spoken to him yet. It was quite a late appointment. Coming away, I've been away from Cardiff, but I'm looking forward to going back and seeing what he has to say and meeting up with him."
Colwill, who managed only four starts in his 20 Championship appearances last season, saw his rhythm disrupted by knee, hamstring and hip issues last year, all linked to another growth spurt.
But he is clearly still an exciting talent and it's now what he does next which will define him and his Cardiff City career. Wales have made the decision to drop him down to the under-21s, having represented his country at the World Cup in Qatar last November, and he believes it's exactly what he needs to kickstart an important 12 months ahead for him.
"It's what I need right now," he said of being selected for the under-21s ahead of Tuesday's Euros qualifier against top-seeds Denmark. "I need those minutes, those games. It helps me when I go back to my club and it also helps the under-21s. It's great for everyone for me to get those minutes to build confidence for when I go back to Cardiff.
"Then, hopefully, go back in the first team. It's good for me to be around the lads. I've also got that experience now, so it's nice for me to share some of those experiences with the boys.
"Anybody who knows me knows I won't kick up a fuss. It's what I've been asked to do and it's what I'll happily do. I think it's a benefit for me. It's what I need right now. The way it's been explained to me, I think it's been done in the right way. So I'm happy to play for the under-21s."
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Football is, in part, an exercise in managing the many peaks and troughs throughout one's career. Colwill, perhaps more than most considering he is only at the foothills of his fledgling career, has already had his fair share of meteoric highs and fist-clenching frustrations.
However, his ceiling remains high and he is determined to fulfil his potential.
"It's been really frustrating. I'm a young lad and I really want to prove myself. It's tough when you can't do that when you're sidelined. It affects playing time," he added.
"I think I've come through [the injuries] now and my body is in a good place, understanding myself more and hopefully the growing issues will stop now and I can kick on with my football.
"I just need time to be fit so I can show people what I've showed in the past and bring that back, which I know I can do."
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