Adam Randell has been with Plymouth Argyle since he was an under-11. Now, at the age 21, he is regularly starting for the first team.
Not only has been a good beginning to the season for the midfielder from Plymstock, it has been an encouraging one too for the Pilgrims.
They are in fifth position in League One, with 12 points from their first six games, ahead of their away fixture against sixth-placed Derby County tomorrow.
Argyle have sold close to 2,300 tickets to the travelling Green Army and an attendance of close to 30,000 at Pride Park is on the cards.
Randell said: "I'm looking forward to it a lot. It's another big game for us, another chance to get some points away from home. They are obviously a good side so it will be a good test for us.
"The past couple of games we have put in good performances and got some good results so we are going there confident.
"We have really started taking our chances. The forward lads are doing their job and putting the ball in the net, which is exactly what we want them to be doing.
"We say it every game, as long as we can score we are likely to win the game because we are good at the back, we can keep clean sheets, it's a question of scoring most of the time."
The trip to Derby is the start of a sequence where Argyle play former Premier League opposition in four of their next five league games.
They will then host Sheffield Wednesday on September 10, travel to Portsmouth on September 17 and welcome Ipswich Town to the Theatre of Greens on September 25 for a Sunday lunchtime kick-off in front of the Sky Sports TV cameras.
Randell said: "We have had a good start and we have put ourselves in a good position. They are tough tests coming up so it will really show us what we are made of.
"It will put us in a position of confidence if we get some good results out of these games.
"We have not had the easiest of starts I don't think. We have shown we can do it against big sides already so there is no reason why we can't go into these next few games and get the same sort of results."
As for the size of the away support at Pride Park, Randell said: "I'm still expecting our fans to out-sing them, as always. It will be a good game and it will be a brilliant atmosphere as well."
Randell has gradually worked his way into the Argyle first team since returning from a highly successful season-long loan at Torquay United in 2020/21, and of his eight appearances this term six of them have been starts.
Randell said: "It has been very pleasing. I'm over the moon, to be fair. It's exactly how I wanted to start the season. I want to be a regular starter and if I can continue the way I'm going then I will be very pleased."
Manager Steven Schumacher's switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation for this season has also benefited Randell, presenting him with the chance of more game-time, and he has taken it.
Randell said: "I think it suits me well, I think as a team we have adapted well to it, which is shown with our performances. We have not dropped off or anything.
"We have kept pushing forward even though it's something new to us, and to the staff as well. We have worked well with it and hopefully we can just keep improving and getting better at it."
The one downside to the season so far for Randell has been that he has not scored yet, despite getting into a number of good positions.
Randell said: "Don't talk to me about it! The number of times I get so frustrated with myself. I was saying to Finn (Azaz) down at the training ground yesterday as soon as I get one I think that will be it, a few in a row.
"I just want to keep contributing, keep getting forward and I think as long as I get myself in those positions then one of them has to go in at some point."
Schumacher believes his Argyle players will relish the prospect of playing in front of a near full house at Pride Park.
He said: "They (Derby) are one of the biggest teams in the league and one of the best stadiums to go and play in, so really looking forward to it.
"It will be a tough test because they have got loads of good players. I keep saying that every single week but it's true. We are going to go there and try to enjoy it, put in a good performance and get a good result.
"I think it's easy to motivate the players. Just going out there and walking out at that type of stadium against that type of club is good isn't it? These are the type of games you want to be involved in as a player.
"The players will be looking forward to it but the preparation is the same, like we always prepare for any team. We will go there and give it our best and see what happens.
"We are in a decent form with two back-to-back league wins, which is good, and we had a win in midweek in the Papa Johns on pens.
"That's what you want, you want to try to build momentum. The best teams in the division do that, put results and performances in.
"We are on a good run of form, but that goes out the window once the whistle goes on Saturday. It's another game and we have got to be at our best to get anything from it."
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