Most Rugby League players would simply be relieved after making their Super League debut, but Matty Ashton is not your average Super League player.
The Warrington fullback insists he can prosper after catching the eye during their 16-10 defeat to Wigan on Thursday.
This time last year, Ashton was struggling to get into the Swinton side at the start of the 2019 Championship season. But now, he is a bona fide Super League player and he says this is simply the start.
When asked about his career prospects, Ashton simply said: “I want to go all the way.”
Having been presented with his Warrington shirt by his parents, the debut capped off a special week for Ashton.
“I found out at the start of the week, which gave me a bit of time to tell everyone,” he said.
“My mum and dad were table to present me with my shirt. It was a special week but hopefully that’s just the start now.
“My parents were welling up a bit and they nearly set me off too. My dad has supported me home and away for years, and for them to see me play Super League, it’s a dream for them as well as me.”
Ashton revealed he was open to remaining with the Lions in 2020, but when the opportunity to move up to Super League came around, he couldn’t say no.
“I expected to be waiting a lot longer than I actually have this season to make my debut,” he said.
“But hopefully I’ve shown Steve (Price) what I can do and I can play more games now. I’ve just worked as hard as I can and trained every day with the same attitude. Hopefully it has paid off.
“As soon as I got into the Swinton team and started scoring more tries each week, I realised I could work as hard as I can to catch the eye of some Super League teams. I was happy to stay at Swinton but when Warrington came in, I couldn’t turn it down.”