Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici says all the hard work he put in to make it to the top will help him cope with life as a Premier League player.
The 27-year old Australian now finds himself in England's top competition after winning the Championship title with the Royals last season and he feels the long road to where he is today will assist in his preparation to be an even better gloveman next season and beyond.
"No-one gave me that reputation. I had to work hard to achieve it.
"The fact was; nobody gave me an opportunity to play. I said to myself, 'Right, if somebody gives me a real opportunity to play, in a real game, in front of lots of people in a real stadium and I can't do it, then I'd say fair enough'.
"But no-one actually gave me that opportunity. Everyone said I was good enough but there were always circumstances, money or whatever."
He added: "It's definitely helped my character.
"Especially for a goalkeeper, mental strength is one of the biggest things you need - especially playing in England and playing in the Premiership. I got that the hard way.""I left home when I was young and it took three or four years to establish myself, and a further few years to establish myself as the number one at Reading and get a reputation," he told au.fourfourtwo.com.