Manchester City captain Richard Dunne admits he had sluggish start to the season.
Dunne signed a new contract last summer and new boss Mark Hughes called it his best pre-season deal, but it wasn't until after he sat out four matches after a red card against Wigan in January that he hit top form.
He admitted on City's website: "I had a poor start to the season and never got going, but since I came back my confidence has grown. Maybe it's playing in a settled defence with Nedum (Onuoha), maybe I just needed the break.
"You know when you're not playing well, you don't need to be told. I've played an awful lot of games in the last few years. I had a little rest for the month, relaxed and stayed away from football for a while."