Callum Paterson believes he is flourishing after returning to his natural position.
The Hearts player, who is in the Scotland under-21 squad for the upcoming qualifiers against France and Iceland at Pittodrie, is enjoying his football more after reverting to playing in defence after a period in attack.
The 20-year-old was deployed as a makeshift forward during the early stages of his Hearts career when the Tynecastle club was hit with a transfer embargo but has since moved back to right back, which Paterson believes is his natural position.
The defender misses the adulation that comes with scoring winning goals but believes playing as a full back will give him the best chance of progressing his career.
He said: “I miss scoring the goals but I still chip in with a few. To me, personally, an assist is as good as a goal.
“The forwards are always the ones who get headlines because people concentrate more on who is putting the ball over the line rather than clearing it off it.
“It is good to score goals but it is also good to do a job for a team.
“I am an attacking full back and I think it is my best position.
“There are still aspects of my game I need to work on but I have the energy to get up and down and I feel I am best as an attacking right back.”
Paterson was called up to the Scotland senior squad for the first time for the matches against Ireland and England last November after Alan Hutton and Phil Bardsley pulled out because of injury.
Paterson says he studies the style of Hutton, who has won 47 caps for his country, closely as well as the other top attacking full backs in the English Premier League in a bid to enhance his own game.
He said: “He is an attacking full back and a bit like Seamus Coleman at Everton. He scores goals and sets up assists for the forwards.
“It is good to watch people like Coleman play and even boys like Kyle Walker at Tottenham. They are big athletic guys.
“We played Manchester City and Everton in pre-season friendlies. I watched Coleman at times to see what he was doing when I wasn’t involved in the game.
“I like to watch these sort of players to see what I can pick up and put into my own game.”
Paterson believes the young Scots are in for a testing encounter against France on Saturday but sees no reason why they can’t progress from a qualifying group that also contains Tuesday’s opponents Iceland, Ukraine, Northern Ireland and Macedonia.
He added: “It is the biggest game so far.
“We had some big games last season but these next two games are massive.
“We have a lot of depth in the squad with guys such as Ryan Gauld at Sporting and Ryan Fraser at Ipswich.
“We have a massive chance and if we get things right on and off the pitch then we can do it.”