Livingston goalkeeper Max Stryjek admits the realisation he could be throwing his career away saw him stop his party lifestyle.
The 25-year-old said he had 'unprofessional moments' last term that almost saw him ditched by the club after just one season.
However, the penny finally dropped during the summer and his performances on the park - as well as his lifestyle changes off it - saw the Polish stopper rewarded with a new deal at the club.
The former Sunderland man signed a one-year extension that will take him until the end of the 2023/24 season, while the club has a further one-year option after that.
Stryjek admitted there was no hesitation to commit his future to the club and spoke candidly about his lifestyle during his first season in Scotland.
He commented: "I didn’t have any doubts about signing. As soon as the offer came in I told my agent I was staying.
“I’m settled here and I’m in a different position now compared to last season. I’m playing more, I enjoy my life because I am playing and everything is going in the right direction.
“Before, I had a few unprofessional moments. I would go out with my mates, drinking until 3 am.
“I think that type of thing upset the manager. He wasn’t happy with my performances either."
He added: "In the summer we only had a few weeks off and I started watching what I was eating and I lost a few kilos.
“My body fat went down and I decided that to move forward I had to be really motivated. Thankfully, it is different this season and I am doing the right things off the park.
“By helping Livingston, I will be able to help myself as well. My dream is to play in the English Premier League and to do that I have to do well here.
“That’s why I decided enough was enough and I had to do the right things.
“I am older and wiser now and I have learned from my experiences in the past. I’m definitely more mature and sometimes last season I was quite childish.
“In life you don’t get anything for free and you have to work hard for everything you get.
“You have to give yourself the best chance of success and to do that you have to have that dedication to achieve it.”
Boss David Martindale praised the keeper's turnaround over the past few months.
He commented: "People tell you they have changed but you can see it in people's habits if they have or not.
"Things like what time are they coming into their work? Are they having their breakfast? Are they needing two coffees instead of one? Are they drinking water? Are they failing their hydration tests? These are all things before training where you can tell if someone has changed.
"I can tell Max has tidied up everything and then when you reflect on performances, I think you can see that he's stepped up to the plate. It's no coincidence that he's performing better."
He added: "Max would have been available for transfer in the summer if an offer had come in.
“I spoke to his agent and told him that if Max wants to be No1 he has to up his game and change what he is doing away from the club. If an offer had come in I wouldn’t have been too hard to deal with.
“But he came in and started in pre-season and he was brilliant. I saw him in the changing room that he was a different animal compared to the year before.
“He had obviously listened to what we had said and he made the jersey his own.
“But that’s all done to him. We couldn't make him do it and fair play to him that he knuckled down and got himself together and he has come back a different player.”
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