Billy Gilmour has candidly admitted that his disappointing spell at Norwich City was a personal low point but believes it has made him stronger in the long run.
There was plenty of excitement when Norwich beat a host of clubs to sign Gilmour on loan from Chelsea back in the summer of 2021 as they prepared for a second crack at the Premier League under Daniel Farke and Stuart Webber.
His arrival at Carrow Road followed Euro 2020, where he impressed with his performances - namely in a man-of-the-match display during a goalless draw with England at Wembley.
That created a high level of expectation that the Scottish international failed to reach during his spell in Norfolk, falling flat in a side that was eventually relegated from the top-flight with 22 points, 15 adrift from 17th-placed Leeds United.
Gilmour struggled for form, consistency and even a place in the team at City and subsequently moved to Brighton, where he has kicked on - playing 58 times since his arrival in 2022.
Looking ahead to Euro 2024 with Scotland, where he will be teammates again with Kenny McLean and Grant Hanley, Gilmour has reflected candidly on his Carrow Road spell.
"Things had been going so well, and then I went on loan to Norwich, which I thought would be good for me," Gilmour told Men's Health. "It turned out to be a fight, a battle. I learned a lot.
"At the time, I didn't enjoy it on the pitch. It didn't look like I was going back to play at Chelsea - when I was getting picked for Scotland, I wasn't playing either - so I was just a young kid and it was a low time for me.
"I had great people around me like Kenny McLean and Grant Hanley who really helped me through.
"I learned how strong I was. I put a smile on my face, even though I was hurting, especially when I was living on my own in Norwich. Some nights, I'd be sitting there thinking, 'This is c**p', but that's where my family helped me. You can only learn from that."
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