Brentford midfielder Shandon Baptiste was delighted to start in Saturday's defeat to Brighton.
The 23-year-old missed the majority of last season after he required knee surgery in October and sustained a minor problem before this campaign got under way to further delay his comeback.
He made a late cameo off the bench at Aston Villa on August 29 to play in the top flight for the first time and then earned a maiden start in the division for the 1-0 loss at home to Brighton after almost a year on the sidelines.
Reflecting on that period, Baptiste said: “You just have to stay positive and those things were seeing the team do well.
“At one stage we were 20-games or something unbeaten so seeing the boys winning and working hard gives you a joy in itself.
“I have good people around me too so they made it not too bad and because I did my ACL before, I kind of knew what I had to do to come back stronger and better. I just tried to implement those things I have learned.
“Yeah, there were low days but now I am seeing the fruits of my labour – like this occasion."
He added: "I knew if I kept working hard and doing the right things, hopefully I would make it here eventually. To finally do it is a great moment for me and my family.
"(Manager) Thomas Frank and the whole club was great and pushed me. They were not just asking about the injury, they were asking about me and how I was as a person.
"I couldn't ask for better people or coaching staff to have had during such a hard stage in my career. Everyone was there for me, kept me positive and kept me going."
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