Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White "enjoyed" and was able to "thrive" off becoming a £42.5million player.
That is the potential fee, with add-ons, that Forest could end up paying Wolves for Gibbs-White, who made his big-money move to the City Ground last summer.
Gibbs-White believes that having the focus on the price tag meant he had to "prove people wrong".
READ MORE: Nottingham Forest handed huge injury boost ahead of Wolves clash
READ MORE: Wales boss Rob Page questions Nottingham Forest 'respect' after Brennan Johnson blow
Speaking ahead of England under-21s' game against France in Leicester on Saturday, Gibbs-White spoke about being in the limelight and how he felt during his switch from the West to East Midlands.
“I enjoyed it. It meant more eyes were on me, I could show myself more. It wasn’t a pressure thing,” he said. “The focus was on the price tag and I had to prove people wrong in a sense. You thrive off that situation. You want to prove people wrong and impress.
“It was a tough period for me. It was either stay at the club I’d been at since I was a kid, which was all I ever knew, or take a big jump and try to achieve something else. For me I felt it was the right time to move on. Luckily enough it’s all gone well so far but there is more to give.”
Gibbs-White will captain Lee Carsley’s Young Lions for the first time against France and against Croatia at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.
“It was a surprise. It’ll be the first time I’ve captained an England side. It’s an honour to receive a call-up and when he told me that I was captain it was a really special feeling,” he said. “It shows I’ve been doing well at club level and he sees me as a leader in the group. I think I’m the oldest one here so that is why.”
What have you made of Gibbs-White's performances this season? Let us know in the comments.
READ NEXT:
- Nottingham Forest dealt fresh injury fear as Serge Aurier update emerges
- Nottingham Forest star Gustavo Scarpa makes 'wonderful' announcement
- Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson fresh injury update issued after huge Wales blow
- Nottingham Forest relegation six-pointer rescheduled as Premier League TV schedule revealed
- Everton charged with allegedly breaking FFP rules by Premier League amid fierce relegation battle