Owen Beck believes his full-blooded debut at Burnley has helped him settle into the challenge of being Blackburn Rovers' first-choice left-back.
The Welshman was handed his first appearance at Turf Moor after an injury to Harry Pickering and made an instant impression. Since then, aside from a three-game suspension, he's been given the nod by John Eustace.
It is an interesting battle for that role, given the consistency Pickering has shown since joining Rovers. He's been a mainstay in the side throughout his time but is now having to be patient.
Beck believes that the baptism of fire against the Clarets helped to settle him into the club.
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"I think it helped me settle, it was a tough game, a derby match but in the moment, I was thinking about the game," he said.
"I knew I had to play well because of the occasion and I did that. I think it helped my confidence and helped me settle in.
"It felt like a long wait after that, three games is not ideal especially so early in my loan.
"I'm glad to be back playing. Harry Pickering is a great player, he is very experienced and he's played a lot of games. It's tough competition and I think we can both learn from each other. He's a great lad and a great player."
Beck's performances have no doubt caught the eye of Liverpool's on-watching staff too. The loan, so far, has been perfect for all parties with his development evident.
The Welshman is an attacking-minded full-back but perhaps most impressive is his level of defensive awareness for a 22-year-old. Often, it is that side of the game that comes much later to budding defenders.
But Beck hasn't given much change to his opposing wingers, despite some tough assignments in recent weeks. He knows that he must be capable of both attacking and defending if he's to make the grade.
"I'm here for the season and so all my focus is on Blackburn Rovers. I've got to have an impact whilst I'm here and do my job. I want to get goals and assists and be a solid defender," he insisted.
"I feel like I have a lot to prove. I like to think I'm an attacking full-back but in the modern game, you have to be able to do both.
"I feel like being a defensive full-back is just as important as an attacking player. You have to win your one-vs-one duels and back-post headers. But I also want to get goals and assists.
"I am concentrating on both parts, not one more than the other. I know what full-back I want to be and in the modern game, you have to do both.
"It helps to play against different types of threats. There is not one way to defend a winger, there are different sides to it. Facing different players who play in different ways can only help me.
"I know the day before, or a couple before, who I'm against and how to match them. It's then for me to put the work in and work out how to win the battle."
This is Beck's first taste of the Championship but, already, he's got a clear flavour of what it entails. That includes the form book often going out of the window.
After back-to-back defeats, Rovers fans will hope that a win over Stoke City gets them back on track.
"You see mad results in the Championship all the time but we're not looking at other teams," he said.
"We're taking it game by game, we're disappointed about the last few results. We want to put it right.
"We're ready for it and we'll have the fans behind us. We want to have the fans behind us and go get the three points."
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