Shaun Want reckons his loan stint at Peterhead has made him more robust - and now he is ready to become a regular again at Hamilton Accies.
The defender had a torrid time with injuries in the first half of last season and sealed a January switch to Balmoor to get games under his belt after being kept out of the side by the likes of Dan O'Reilly and Mihai Popescu.
Now back at New Douglas Park for pre-season, the 25-year-old says his spell with Jim McInally's men in League One has paid dividends.
He said: "The most important thing was getting games. I didn't have the best of luck with injuries last season.
"I kept getting a recurring injury so I needed to go and get games to be more robust and I managed to play 10 or 11 games without breaking down every week, so that's probably the most important thing that I've gained from that spell.
"Getting my body used to that routine again.
"I had a quad injury two seasons ago and that kept recurring, then I got my head knock and my hamstring.
"It was a stop-start season so it was good to go to Peterhead for a few months and hopefully that has got me ready to play here every week this season.
"It was about getting games to be ready for Hamilton this season, and I feel that is the case now."
Want is back after a well-earned break and being best man at his brother's wedding in Jamaica.
And he says football is a breeze compared to the pressure of delivering a best man's speech.
Want, whose side face two friendlies on the road this afternoon against Larkhall Thistle (12pm) and Newmains United (3pm), said: "It's good to be back in amongst it after a good break.
"We all had a programme to follow from the sports scientist and I managed to get a break away in Jamaica for my brother's wedding so that was good.
"I was the best man so I was nervous before it.
"I was more nervous giving that speech than I ever have for a big game in front of a crowd in a stadium, but it went really well.
"It was a bit of travelling but it was all worth it.
"It's been tough with all the [fitness] testing to see how hard you've been working over the summer, but it's been enjoyable."
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