Mike Williamson is hoping his experience as well as his ability can play a key role for Wolves next season.
And while the defender swopped the Barclays Premier League for the Sky Bet Championship when moving from Newcastle United to Wolves, he remains ambitious and determined to get back to the top level as quickly as possible.
That will be among his aims as he hopes to recover from a troublesome hamstring tendon injury to return strongly for pre-season and the new campaign.
“Wolves is a fantastic club and that is why I was so keen to come back,” says the 32-year-old.
“I truly believe we have all the attributes that you need to be a successful club.
“And I think we can mount a positive campaign to push for promotion next year.
“The lads have been extremely unlucky with injuries this season, and I think when you look through history the most successful teams have had the highest availability rates of players.
“We have suffered some big blows in terms of long standing injuries.
“Obviously I have been injured and that has been very frustrating as well.
“I try to be in and around the lads and the dressing room as much as possible and chat to the guys, especially if it is a tough period.
“Sometimes you can get stick and that is part and parcel of football and I experienced similar at my last club.
“In that sense it has been frustrating on all fronts.
“For me I am an experienced player but I see many more years left in me yet!
“Taking this injury away, I have been fit and healthy and I don’t suffer from many injuries.
“As soon as I can get this behind me I think it will be plain sailing.
“Every year your experience grows and your perspective on life changes.
“From a workload point of view that is something I have had to take a look at.
“I am notorious for over-working, I always want to work hard whether in the gym or on the training pitch.
“It is part of my nature to continually want to push myself but as you get older and into the so-called twilight years it is more about recovery, flexibility, mobility, longevity.
“That is something I have had to address.
“My family have also been a huge support network for me and that has been the main basis of staying positive and continually working hard.”
And then there is that Premier League ambition still burning bright.
Williamson believes there is plenty of competitiveness in the battle for places in the centre of the Wolves defence, which will help drive the team forward.
“It is competitive and that is fantastic – that is what breeds a successful team,” he says.
“You won’t walk into any club and not find competition for places.
“There are some very good centre halves here and it is going to pose a great dilemma when everyone is fit and vying for two spots in the team.
“My goal is still to play in the Premier League, make no mistake.
“I have got a good number of appearances there so far and have been in a team which finished fifth in the Premier League and went into Europe.
“We had fantastic times, and I want more of it.
“I am going to work just as hard, if not even harder, to get myself back there, as I did when I was younger.
“A few of the lads ask me about the Premier League and it is another world and it is about doing everything you can to try and get there.
“The Championship is a fantastic league with some great clubs and is probably one of the most physically gruelling and hardest leagues to get out of, especially looking at the standard next season.
“One of the North East clubs is coming down at least, possibly two, and it is going to be very competitive once again.
“But the Premier League is definitely the place to be and that is what we will all be aiming for and giving everything for.”
