It's almost 12 months since Sam Hughes completed his switch from Chester FC to Leicester City.
The defender became the first product of the Blues' youth academy to move on to bigger things, with the centre back joining the 2015/16 Premier League champions for a fee in the region of £130,000 plus add ons .
When we spoke to Hughes after his move to the Foxes last summer he had been hit by an injury early doors and his aim of establishing himself in the club's under-23s had been dealt an early blow.
But after a few games on the sidelines Hughes hit his stride with the Foxes and soon became an integral part of Steve Beaglehole's side in Premier League 2 Division One - the highest level of U23s football in England.
He went on to captain the side to a third placed finish in the league, just behind Liverpool and eventual winners Arsenal. And despite playing at centre back for much of the campaign, Hughes, who turned 21 last month, finished the season as the Foxes' U23s top scorer with 12 goals.
His form for the U23s didn't go unnoticed and he made the bench as an unused substitute for the Foxes' first team in the Premier League for the clashes at home to West Ham United and away at Tottenham Hotspur's temporary Wembley home.
It has been a season that he admits has exceeded his expectations.
"I suppose it has surpassed what I was hoping for, it's been an enjoyable 12 months," Hughes told the Chronicle.
Most Read
"My main aim when I first came into the club was to try and get a foothold in the U23s and show people that I was good enough and that I could compete at that level. I had to earn my place in the team.
"I didn't think for a second that I was going to walk into the team and everything would be easy for me, that isn't how it works. I have had to work harder than ever before and I have left nothing to chance when it comes to trying to be the best I can be.
"It has been a really pleasing season for me personally and also for the U23s. We had a good campaign and came really close to winning the league, which would have been a great achievement.
"I don't have specific goals I set myself at the start of each season but I just do as much as I can to give myself the best possible chance of succeeding. That was what I did last summer and that will be the same approach I take next season."
During the U23s campaign Hughes has played alongside some of the Foxes' senior players such as Robert Huth, Daniel Amartey and Kelehi Iheanacho.
And with injuries to the senior squad taking it's tole on Claude Puel's side towards the end of the campaign, Hughes was called upon to train with the first team and stars such as Riyad Mahrez, winning a place in the match day squad as an unused substitute on two occasions before the season was done.
And while memorable experiences, Hughes doesn't want that to be the end of it.
Don’t miss
"The final few weeks of the season saw the manager have to contend with a few injuries and that kind of opened the door to me and a couple of other lads from the U23s," said Hughes, who bought a house in Leicester last year so that his family could visit.
"I watch the Premier League and these guys, the likes of Robert Huth and Riyad Mahrez, are guys that I have looked up to and achieved some wonderful things in the game. But when you take to the training field with them there is no time to get star struck or anything like that. They are your teammates and all I am thinking about is making sure I am as quick as them, as strong as them, as committed as them. You are all competing for places and you want to be the best you can be.
"I'd played and trained with the likes of Robert Huth during the season. He is someone who has had a great Premier League career and someone who I have looked to learn from. You watch what they do, how they go about things and then you try and adapt certain things to help you in your own game. You don't look to imitate anyone, simply see what changes can be made to make you better."
Hughes does not yet know what next season holds.
Another season in the U23s with Leicester, more involvement with the first team or a stint out on loan, they are all things that could transpire. But Hughes is taking a well-earned summer break before worrying too much about that.
"There will be lads at the World Cup so there could be a chance to get involved with the first team in pre-season but who knows," said Hughes.
"There will be some talks taking place between the club, myself and my agent and it could be that things stay the same in the U23s for me next season or they may want me to go out somewhere on loan. I just don't know.
"I'm not thinking too much about it at the moment, I am just going to have a couple of weeks away and make sure I am ready for next season."
And while Hughes' star has continued to rise since leaving Chester, the defender has been keeping a keen eye on what has been going on at the football club where he made netted eight times in 64 appearances in the National League.
"I'm a Chester fan and I have been keeping up to date with everything and it is always one of the first things I do, check for the result," he said.
"It has been a difficult time but that is football, I suppose. Personally I think that relegation may not be a bad thing for the football club in the long run. When I was there we only survived by a point or two and it could have happened that season, so it is something that has almost been coming.
"But hopefully the club can bounce back next season in the National League North. I think that appointing the managers (Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson) is 110% the best move they could have made and I think they will do well.
"I love Chester and always try and get back there when I can. I'll be watching keenly to see what happens. The fans deserve something good next season and some happy times."