Motherwell midfielder Callum Slattery says his first year at Fir Park has pleased him - even with a tough spell out of Graham Alexander's side.
The Englishman's thunderous strike against Livingston last time out set the wheels in motion for a 2-2 Premiership draw with Livingston that clinched top six placement.
Ricki Lamie's 93rd minute header ensured a match with Rangers this afternoon, the Steelmen currently sixth and knowing a fifth or fourth place finish would secure a spot in next season's Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Since joining from Southampton on a three-year-deal last summer, Slattery has made 26 league appearances, but found himself on the bench for large parts of February and March this year.
It comes with the territory of playing for a good team according to the 23-year-old, who said of his ML1 stint so far: "I am happy with how it's gone.
"I settled in quite quickly and there is great competition in this side. I found myself out the team for a bit.
"But I'm back in now and playing. You can find it happen to any player. You have to stay patient, but the most important thing is the team getting three points. I've enjoyed my time here."
Slattery says the Steelmen won't get too far ahead of themselves in pursuit of European football, but clinching a chance to compete for it was big.
Now in the top half and looking for a strong end to the season over their remaining five matches, a large points haul is on the agenda after a run of one win in 13 games, starting with today's Rangers battle.
He added: "I think every club's aim is to finish in the top six. That was a target for us, no matter what. I knew we had the players to do it.
"That was the aim for us. We wanted to have as good a season as we could and finish as high up the table as we can.
"We're going into it with the mindset of wanting to take as many points as we can. We know it's a big game.
"The aim is to take each game as it comes. We will go into games, take the points we can and see where we end up."
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