Goalkeeper Alex Bass says being made to feel at home at Notts County after years on the move will bring the best out of him.
The Magpies are the eighth club the 26-year-old has featured for in seven years.
From childhood side Portsmouth, he had loan moves at Salisbury, Torquay, Southend and Bradford between 2018 and 2022, which earned him a move to Sunderland, from where he went back out on loan to AFC Wimbledon last season.
In June, he signed for Notts in League Two on a three-year deal.
“This opportunity came up where I couldn’t really say no,” Bass told BBC Radio Nottingham.
“I’m at the age now where I’m not really bothered where I am, I just want to go out and play and find a settled home and, hopefully, that brings the best of out of you.”
Bass was 18 when he made his debut for Portsmouth in 2016, and it was the time he spent on the bench, before and after that trying to break into the side, that has defined his approach to the game.
Being a back-up goalkeeper – seen as the loneliest job in football – was never an option for Bass.
“I was on the bench very young at Portsmouth and I must have wracked up 60, 70 or 80 appearances on the bench before I made my league debut,” he said.
“Being exposed to that so young, it gets to a stage where I’ve done this now and I’m not really enjoying it.
“I want to be the one that trains all week to then go play on Saturday. Imagine doing the job all week, but then not having the reward of the actual fun thing of the game at the weekend.”
He has started every League Two match for Notts since arriving in the summer, with the Magpies second in the table after five games.
“It was big for me to come to a place where I felt I was wanted,” Bass said.
“The gaffer has a lot of faith in me and that breeds confidence.”