City midfielder Tashan Oakley-Boothe is enjoying his regular first-team action since arriving on loan in the summer.
A member of the U17 World Cup-winning England squad, Oakley-Boothe admits he was ready for a step up from youth football and is satisfied with his start to life as an Imp.
He said: "I think so far I have done well. It has taken a little while to get going because last season I was predominantly with the U23s, but in terms of match fitness at this level I have adapted quite quickly, and it was good to pick up an assist in the last game.
"As a footballer you need to play in as many competitive games as possible and as a player you can only spend so long in youth football. You get to a point in your career where you understand that if you are playing at a certain level, you are not developing.
“You know you need to play first-team football because that is what helps you have a career in the game. The sooner you play first-team football regularly, the better, and I’m grateful for getting the opportunities to do that here.”
City are unbeaten in cup competitions this season after two rounds of the Carabao Cup, and the midfielder is looking forward to embarking on a new challenge in the Papa Johns Trophy against Barnsley on Tuesday evening.
He added: “We go into every game wanting to win, regardless of the competition. We will continue to play our way and it gives me and other players another chance to show what we can do and continue building momentum.
“In games so far this season we tend to start well with a lot of momentum, but we flip it over to the other team. We do that too early so our game management has to be better, and regular games allows us to continue improving that.”
