Stephen Ireland credits his superb form for Manchester City this season to manager Mark Hughes.
The midfielder told City's website: "It's nothing extraordinary but I just love being at the club and being around the place. The manager has made it a great place for the players. There is a new gym there and everything we need. It feels very homely.
"The manager sets targets for individuals, and the work we do in small groups is intense and spot on. I have got more confidence this season and that is because the manager has shown his confidence and trust in me and my ability - even though I had to fight to get in initially.
"I think last season I was used more to plug gaps and it was hard to be consistent and find my best form. This year I think I have done that but I still feel I can get even better still.
"I have certainly been helped in that regard by the extra work that I did in the summer. At the end of the last season we had a martial arts expert at the training ground doing a few sessions and I felt that I benefited from those."
Manager Mark Hughes is also pleased with what he has seen from Stephen, and he adds:
"The credit needs to go to Stephen, he worked exceptionally hard in the summer and what we have done is enable him to prosper on a day-to-day basis. He's reaping the benefits, and so are we.
"He's a great player, a great talent, maybe he wasn't consistent in the past, but he certainly is this year. He continues to get into forward positions, and he could have had a few more goals this season. He gets into good areas, makes space for himself and I think he will score a lot this year."