Town midfielder Jack Taylor has had to stay patient for his opportunities this season but admits he would like to become a regular starter as the Blues prepare for a return to the Championship.
Taylor has featured in 28 of Town’s 34 Premier League matches during the current campaign but has started just twice, including in the Blues’ most recent outing at Newcastle United last weekend.
The division’s most used substitute has largely played in a supporting role to a midfield unit consisting of club captain Sam Morsy and loanees Jens Cajuste and Kalvin Phillips.
With the Blues now officially relegated to the Championship and missing several players through injury, Taylor hopes he can get some more starts to his name between now and the end of the season.
"Every footballer wants to start games,” he said. "Jens has been doing so well who’s been playing ahead of me and arguably one of our best players this season.
"It’s been tough but I’ve been competing well, trying to come on and give the best version of myself and waited for my time. When it does finally arrive, you’ve got to take it.
"It always only takes one moment. No matter if you’re coming on for 30 minutes or one minute, you want to try and bring every action a positive one to try and feed your way into the game.
"It is tough sometimes because you’re coming into a Premier League game and it’s really quick and you’ve got to get yourself into the game as quickly as possible. I’ve set a mentality to use it for myself as moments to impress and show the boss what I can do.
"If I get an opportunity to start again, that’s another opportunity to play a Premier League football match. Bringing the best version of yourself and trying to impress on the biggest stage.”
Taylor has had a part to play in every match since November, with his most memorable moment coming away at Wolverhampton Wanderers when he struck a stoppage time winner at Molineux.
The 26-year-old admitted he hasn’t played as often he expected to at the start of the campaign, but is eager to make the next step and cement his place in the side for next season.
"No, probably not,” he said. "I was missing out on squads at the start of the year so there was a stage where I thought this could be a long season. I just kept training hard and thankfully I made my way back into the squad.
"You don’t really know what’s around the corner. The ideal plan for me is to be a starter for this club next season. I train every day to be on this journey with this football club that I’ve come to love.
"I love living round here and I love working with the gaffer. Everything just works well here, the team is in a great spirit even though we’re relegated. The club is in a great stead for next season.”
Asked what he would say to a younger version of himself, Taylor responded: "You’re going to play in the Premier League one day. I always said to play as high as you can and I always thought I could give more every season, so I’m grateful that I’ve finally got to the Premier League and will hopefully be back here one day.”
He continued: "I’ve overcome so many things personally. From missing out in squads at the start of the season because there was so much competition, to then getting my chance and try and fight my way into the team to make as much impact as I can.
"Overall, you’ve got to become a better player for it. The players you’re coming up against, the atmospheres, the things that you learn week in, week out, training with Premier League coaches and Premier League players, you can only get better.
"I think everyone in the whole squad would agree that, on a personal note, they’ve all become better players for it.”
Many supporters and outsiders will look to pick out certain points during the season that may be considered key moments in where the Blues ultimately cost themselves a chance of survival.
Losing a lead to Fulham at Craven Cottage and the home defeat to Southampton often spring to mind as two of those occasions where Town may feel an opportunity has gone begging.
Taylor is not doing that, though, instead emphasising the point that no match is bigger than any other as highlighted by the Blues’ victories against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
"There’s been loads of games that we’ve been in and conceded late goals and we’ve also scored a couple of late goals as well,” he said. "You can’t really pinpoint any game, it’s just minor errors and things that have led to dropping points.
"Of course, it would have been nice to win to the games down the bottom, they call it six-pointers, which probably would have helped us out a little bit.
"Over the course of the season you can pick up points no matter where you are, we went away to Spurs and got a win so I wouldn’t say you can pinpoint it. We’ve competed at this level really well and been in most games, we’ve just fallen short.”
Although Town will ultimately miss out on their goal of surviving in the top flight, nothing will take away the enjoyment that Taylor has had in his first experience of playing in the Premier League.
"I’ve loved it, it’s everything you grow up watching Match of the Day and going to play at these historic grounds like we are on Saturday,” he said. "I’m really proud to where I’ve got to and it’s given me an extra bit of hunger to want more.”
Asked for his toughest opponent, the Republic of Ireland international concluded: "[Manchester] City were incredible when we played against them, probably the whole team made you feel like they had more players than you on the pitch.
"I’d probably say one of the City lads – [Erling] Haaland killed us the first time we played them so probably him.”