Wingback Happy Mashiane has opened up on his time on the sidelines and fighting for a spot in the Kaizer Chiefs starting XI.
Mashiane has been on the fringes at Chiefs in recent years and has long been linked with a move away from Naturena.
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The writing seemed to be on the wall when he featured just once in the side's first 10 matches across all competitions under new head coach Nasreddine Nabi.
However, the 27-year-old would go on to make six more appearances since then, albeit five of those from the bench.
An indication he may yet have a spot in the Amakhosi line-up.
Mashiane's most recent appearance was in the Nedbank Cup Last 16 clash against Chippa United, where he earned a starting place and featured for 90 minutes.
"Obviously, I hadn't played a lot in a while," Mashiane told the club's website.
"So, coming back into that big game was a big motivation for me. I had to go in and give my best. With the guidance of the coach and his technical staff, I felt confident and it turned out great.
"Personally, I am doing everything I can to give the coach what he wants from me," added the left-footer.
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The recent departure of Thatayaone Ditlhokwe to link up with Libyan side Al-Ittihad may have somewhat opened up the door for Mashiane, with the former SuperSport United defender having also been employed at left-back at times.