Kamil Jozwiak is gearing up for his second season at Derby County - and he is determined to hit the ground running.
The 23-year-old winger arrived at Pride Park Stadium last September from Polish side Lech Poznan for an undisclosed fee.
The Poland international racked up 41 appearances in all competitions last term for Derby, scoring once.
After being given extra time off by manager Wayne Rooney following his international commitments with his country at the UEFA European Championships in June, Jozwiak checked in for pre-season training earlier this week.
Jozwiak kept his eye on how his team-mates were doing in pre-season training across social media earlier this month and knows the level he needs to be at.
“I feel happy that I can join the team,” Jozwiak told RamsTV. “I saw the players have been working hard in pre-season training and I also watched the Manchester United game, which was at a very high level.
“I know I have to prepare and be as ready as possible to join the team.”
He added: “I saw the fans back at the game against Manchester United and the atmosphere was very good. I know it will be just the same at the next match.”
Jozwiak is confident he can kick on in the upcoming 2021/22 season with a year’s worth of experience in a new league, and country, under his belt.
The versatile wideman is relishing the prospect of helping the Rams to enjoy a better campaign on the pitch.
He said: “For me and the team, last season was not the best one.
“I hope this second season will be easier for me and the team. I have the experience from my first season; I know the team better and they know me better.
“I think we can get good results in the season.”
Jozwiak’s time at the European Championships was, perhaps surprisingly, short-lived.
Defeats to Slovakia and Sweden, with a 1-1 draw against Spain sandwiched in-between, meant Poland did not progress beyond the group stage.
Despite the disappointment, Jozwiak, who started all three games and registered an assist against Spain, enjoyed being part of a major tournament for the first time.
He said: “For sure it was a good experience for me but as a team we were disappointed with the results.
“We aimed for higher than this. We had a red card in the defeat to Slovakia and then a very good match with Spain and a defeat against Sweden.
“It was the first big tournament for me and a good experience. I know it will be good for me in the future and hopefully I will play at more tournaments with Poland, but with better results.”
