George Wickens is hoping to reach a significant personal milestone on Saturday, with the goalkeeper set to make his 100th appearance for City if selected against Birmingham City.
The 24-year-old has become an increasingly important figure for the Imps since arriving from Fulham, with his journey to the Sky Bet Championship highlighting the importance of gaining experience and regular football at the right stage of a young player's career.
Having spent many years at Fulham, Wickens made the decision to leave in search of more opportunities to play, a move he believes has been instrumental in his development.
He said: “I'm very proud to hopefully reach that milestone on Saturday. It was a tough decision to leave Fulham at the time. It was a club I'd been at for many years and I probably felt quite comfortable there.
“I knew that, for me to take the next step in my career, I needed to go and play football.
“To come here and reach my 100th appearance on Saturday if selected, I'm very proud of that. I've thoroughly enjoyed it and developed quite a bit within that time.”
Wickens' last appearance was in City's recent victory over Burnley, producing a second-half penalty save to help the Imps secure an important result.
The shot-stopper revealed that preparation played its part in the decisive moment, with the goalkeeping group studying opposition tendencies ahead of matches.
He added: “It's always nice to make a save. I think it's like the goalkeeper's version of scoring a goal, isn't it?
“We do our research as goalkeepers, so we always have a look. I felt pretty confident within myself in that moment and, luckily, it came off.
“We always do our research, and it gives me a bit more confidence going into it if I'm in that situation.”
Attention now turns to Saturday's Championship encounter with Birmingham City, who Wickens expects to provide a stern test for the Imps.
“They're a very good team and very good from set pieces as well. They've got Scott Fry there, who we know from his time here, so we know that'll be a challenge.
“They've got plenty of ways of playing and they've picked up some good results, so it's going to be tough, but it's very exciting.”
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