"Sometimes the gaffer pays me compliments to say that I play like a 30-year-old," chuckles Ethan Erhahon as he reflects on discussions with Lincoln City manager Michael Skubala.
It's a Wednesday afternoon and the former St Mirren midfielder somewhat feels like one too after a late journey back to Lincolnshire following a trip to face Crawley Town in English League One action.
Erhahon - a former Scotland youth internationalist - is recovering at home when he checks onto a Zoom call to discuss his progression in what is still a fledgling career in football, even if that's contrary to his appearance count or off-the-field experience.
The Glasgow-born holding midfielder - tipped for a record-breaking transfer move from Lincoln in the future - is now into his seventh season as a professional and has just ticked over 200 appearances in first-team club football.
"It feels like that as well," he smiles. "I think I've made over 200 appearances now for Lincoln and St Mirren put together, so, you know, at 23 that's quite a good achievement.
"You can lean on the experience that I've had from a young age. I sort of played left-back a few games at 17, which was certainly a learning curve.
"I can only lean on that experience that I've got from previous managers and previous clubs or whatever and I think it's stood me in good stead.
"It's nice to hear that, you know, people think you've got the head of a 30-year-old sometimes, so that's always nice to hear. As long as I have not got the legs going that way then it's a positive."
Erhahon's attributes on the pitch may have been advanced beyond his years mentally on the pitch when making the switch across the border, but it has been a steep learning curve off it for the self-confessed homebody when leaving home for the first time.
In fact, Erhahon's departure from St Mirren was first pitched to his mum by director of football Jez George who personally made the trip to a match to introduce himself to the player and his family - with a helping hand from team-mate and former Imps player Mark O'Hara.
CONGRATULATIONS ETHAN 👏 Trust board member Julian Buttery and new junior member Charlie Grimshaw present Ethan Erhahan with the Trust Player of the Month for September trophy voted by our fans.#RICT24 pic.twitter.com/MLPaRAaMqE
— The Red Imps Community Trust (@trustinlcfc) October 27, 2024
"I think Lincoln was the right club because I'd met the director of football, Jez George, he came up to one of my games at St Mirren and spoke to my mum, actually, before he even spoke to me," explained Erhahon.
"I think Mark O'Hara's mum introduced them because he was at Lincoln as well, so I think she intorduced Jez to my mum, and then they got talking and then we had a kind of meeting and Jez pitched his ideas forward.
"I think from that it became pretty clear that Lincoln was the place I wanted to come and play my football in England.
"I think it was a learning curve [leaving home], my first proper time away from home away from Glasgow, a different place as well very different to Glasgow.
"It's very quiet out here, not much noise going on, so it is pretty different to what I'm used to but it was all about adjusting - and I wanted to come to England anyway and have a different platform to showcase my abilities.
"I think for sure, Lincoln it served me well. It's a bit different, but I think I'm used to it now. I'm quite a homebody as well, so I miss home quite a lot, but what can I do it's part of football isn't it?"
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Erhahon's permanent move to Lincoln, in January 2023, came after a false start of sorts away from Scotland when Covid saw a loan move to Barnsley cut short without any first-team action. A transfer offer from Forrest Green Rovers was accepted in December 2022 but a deal fell through.
Despite the sliding door moments, Erhahon had no issues settling straight into a rhythm at Lincoln where he picked up the Players' Player of the Year in his first full season earning major plaudits for his performances and leading to an expectation his eventual departure will come with a significant fee.
Erhahon, though, has ambitions to help Lincoln - under modern manager Skubala - progress before leaving. A play-off spot is the initial target after narrowly missing out last term, with promotion the ultimate aim. Lincoln currently sit eighth, one point off the play-off positions after a strong start to the season.
"Even when I first came it was all about taking that next step to the Championship and we were getting closer. In the first season we finished in the top half, and then second season we missed out on the playoffs by two points.
"I think this year is all about using last year as a learning curve. We have started well. Fingers crossed we can go one better because that's the aim from top to bottom at the club, from all the players and the coaching staff and the board as well."
👏 Ethan Erhahon wins the Players' Player award for 23/24! 🤝 This award has been sponsored by @RilmacGroup.#WeAreImps pic.twitter.com/OmGZuD2R4s
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) April 28, 2024
Erhahon is not shy in his ambitions at club level, nor on a personal basis with sights firmly set on continuing to climb the football pyramid - while helping out his former clubs along the way with transfer profits. St Mirren hold a sell-on fee after Erhahon's move to Lincoln with the English club expecting to receive in excess of the £640,000 fee Harry Toffolo was sold for in 2020.
"The clubs are quite similar in that way, they sort of buy to sell," said Erhahon. "St Mirren certainly produced through the academy to sell at a young age and Lincoln have had a few as well.
"Two left at the end of last season, so there's proof in the pudding that it works and fingers crossed that I could possibly be the next one to make a bit of money for the club."
Alongside his desire to play at the top level, whether that be the Premier League or elsewhere, Rangers supporter Erhahon would love to turn out for the Ibrox club at some point in his career.
"I think it'd be to play at the highest level," he said of personal goals. "Whether that be Premier League, for sure. It'd juts be to go and play at the highest level.
"Obviously, I'd like to go home at some point and play for Rangers. I'm a big Rangers fan, so that would be a dream.
"Two options there that I'd like to, hopefully, achieve at some point."
"That's the aim," he said. "I played for Scotland for youth levels up to the under-21s and I had a great time. I had some great managers there, some great coaches and it's good seeing boys in my team like Nathan Patterson and Billy Gilmour going on to then represent the first team.
"I can play for Nigeria as well, big footballing country, a great team to watch, strong team, good players, so, I'd be happy if that conversation ever came up, of course, it'd be an honour to represent both countries.
"I'm dying to, but it's not something that I'm thinking is going to happen next month. It's something that I'm building towards certainly and whether that be playing at a higher level that might get me into in and around the set-up then, that'd be something that I'd look forward to and hopefully, it can come my way."
