Aston Villa defender Nathan Baker is delighted with his progress.
Baker, 22, has stepped in alongside Ron Vlaar in the absence of Ciaran Clark.
"I think I'm improving day by day and game by game so that's great. This is how you learn and grow as a player.
"Ciaran has been really good this season and he's back from injury now so there's competition there, not only for me but for Ron as well and that's what you need in every team."