Dundee’s Craig Wighton admits he is brimming with confidence now thanks to the extended run he has been given in the team by boss Paul Hartley.
Prior to this season, the teenager flitted in and out of the Dark Blues’ starting XI.
That left him questioning himself and he admitted the doubts had a detrimental effect on his form.
Now, though, he has started the last six games and he is hoping to win the nod again today against Ross County at Dens as Dundee look to bounce back after last week’s disappointing defeat and display at Kilmarnock.
Wighton said: “I think at the start of the season when you’re not playing – and even after last season when it wasn’t great for myself – you are maybe thinking, ‘Where do I go from here?’, but the gaffer’s given me a run in the team.
“I’ve been playing well and it gives you a lot of confidence that was lacking before.
“I just wasn’t as confident and maybe that’s why I wasn’t playing as well.
“Playing up front with someone like Marcus (Haber) is helping me a lot as well.
“I just want to keep that going now.
“When you’re playing one or two games and then you don’t play, you sort of doubt yourself.
“You think, ‘Am I only playing because he’s not fit?’ or whatever.
“So to get a game every week and a run in the team is what it’s about.
“The gaffer has shown a lot of confidence in me and I want to repay him by keeping doing what I’ve been doing.
“It was definitely a learning curve last week for me personally.
“It showed there will be games when you don’t perform.
“As a team, we never really got going. They (Killie) were the better team.
“Now we have to look to get back to winning ways by playing the way we were previous to that.”
Dundee didn’t win a league match at Dens this season until November 5 against Motherwell but having finally broken that home hoodoo, they have subsequently beaten Inverness.
Wighton is now looking for that run to continue against the Staggies, helped by what he hopes is a more relaxed atmosphere at the famous old ground.
The 19-year-old added: “It was maybe playing on the back of our minds a wee bit that we hadn’t won here for a while.
“But in the last couple of home games, we’ve had good results.
“We are on a wee bit of a run at home and we want to continue that.
“I think it was frustrating for the fans, paying money every week and not seeing us winning at home.
“But I think the fact we’ve turned it round in the last couple of games means there will be a different mind-set that people are coming to the game with.
“It definitely helps us. The crowd aren’t on your back as much.
“It makes for a more relaxed atmosphere all round and that’s probably the reason we’ve been doing better at home.
“Everyone thought we were in a bit of trouble earlier on in the season but it’s far too early for that.
“You just to have look at the league to see how tight it is.
“Now the fans are a lot more positive. It would be nice to get another home win, especially after the disappointment of losing to Kilmarnock last week.
“I don’t think we performed well.
“At home, we’ve been doing all right recently, so it’s good to be back here.
“Hopefully there will be a big crowd and we can get the three points.”
Wighton admits he does not set any targets for himself in terms of goals for a season but he does have other things he is determined to achieve.
He added: “It’s just to play as many games as I can. I don’t set myself an actual target in terms of goals.
“It’s just to keep playing every week and help the team climb up the table to hopefully finish in the top six.
“From sixth place down the way, it’s so tight. We can do it, though, if we can put a couple of wins together and go on a run. It’s a hard league this year.
“The top four or five are really good and other than that, the rest of the teams can beat each other on their day. It’s strange but that’s how it is.”
