Dan Bentley has revealed how he "hated every moment" of his time out of the team after manager Nigel Pearson dropped him following a 3-2 defeat to Huddersfield in December.
The club captain made his first start in 11 matches in the 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough on Saturday after stopper Max O'Leary was ruled out with injury following a collision with Michael Obafemi in the defeat at Swansea.
Bentley, 28, was eager to prove his worth on the anniversary of the Ashton Gate Eight and certainly made his mark by making a series of impressive saves to deny an in-form Boro side.
His return to the side almost coincided with City's first clean sheet since December 4 but Matt Crooks finally breached Bentley's goal when he headed home a corner with just minutes left on the clock.
Bentley's performances earned the praise from his manager at the full-time whistle and the player revealed his motivation to fight for the shirt until the end of the season.
Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol, when asked on the time spent warming the bench, he said: "Hated every second. I am motivated to play, I thrive off of being in the team with the pressure and I want to help the boys. That’s the way I’m built.
“It was difficult to accept and I’ve got maximum respect for Max, absolutely, as a person and a goalkeeper, so there’s no animosity there, or towards the gaffer either."
Bentley himself admitted his spell out the side could have been a blessing in disguise because it gave him time to work on himself both physically and mentally during a "difficult" time.
“I used it as an investment into myself, where normally I may not have the time to do some gym work, I've perhaps had the chance to do over the last six weeks," he added.
“Stuff that I could have done more on the training ground, extra work, where I’ve not been building up to games. I used it as an investment in myself. I think physically and mentally I’ll be better for it but it’s been difficult, for sure.”
Bentley was certainly a man-of-the-match contender at the weekend on his 400th career appearance which was particularly refreshing considering the club's dismal defensive record in recent weeks.
Before Saturday, City had conceded 24 goals in the 10 games Bentley had been out of the side but he made a string of crucial saves to help settle a nervy backline, including one against Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun to deny an equaliser towards the start of the second half.
He also denied Marcus Tavernier on two occasions and Timm Klose was full of appreciation for his stopper after leaping on his back at the full-time whistle with the points in the bag.
Bentley is determined more than ever to retain his spot in goal but knows O'Leary won't be resting on his laurels when he recovers from his injury set-back.
"I’ll be doing as much as I always have to stay in the team," he added. "I don’t think that because I have the captain’s armband that I’m a given in the team. Not at all. And the gaffer made reference to it when he took me out of the team; I’m under the same rules as anybody else, captain or not.
“I don’t think, at all, that the shirt is a given; you have to earn it every single day in training, every single day off the pitch and every single time you step on the pitch.
“That’s the way I look at it and I’ll obviously be doing my utmost to keep it and I’m sure Max will be doing his utmost to get it back, and that’s healthy competition.”
Pearson also praised Bentley when quizzed about his performance in the club's interview after the game in a typically modest way while dropping the slightest hint he will retain his place between the sticks.
He said: "Dan did exactly what I hoped he would do and stick two fingers up at me and say 'I'm back.' He's our captain, he's a really good committed person and showed his talents as a goalkeeper today.
"It's never easy to drop your captain and never easy to have a player of that experience on the bench and not use it. His response today was perfect and it wasn't his fault that he didn't keep a clean sheet.
"He did was he needed to do and he did it in a really calm and professional manner so I'm pleased for him today."
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