CHRIS Cohen said his injury nightmare last season has only made him more hungry to succeed at Nottingham Forest.
A cruciate knee ligament injury in September 2011 kept him out for nearly a year.
But since coming back, he has been a mainstay in the side until given a breather in last weekend's 2-0 win against Burnley when he was on the bench.
He is hoping to start at Brighton today and said: "Before I made my comeback start against Derby this season I was no way near it and you never know contract wise, which was up in the air, what will happen.
"I wasn't playing so I was just waiting for an opportunity. So to play 11 or 12 games in a row has been fantastic from a personal point of view."
During that time, Cohen also penned a new three-year deal to give him stability off the field.
And he said: "I am happy to be back playing but I want to be part of a winning team – and I want to be a small part of that.
"Watching the games from afar, it makes you realise how lucky you are because 12 months sat there and not watching particular good times, with all the goings on off the field as well, was not nice.
"It was not a pleasant place for anybody – players, management, etc. We got through it and the future is looking very bright.
"Hopefully I can be a very small part of that, that would be great."