Aaron Cresswell insists there is plenty still to play for as the Barclays Premier League enters its final five weeks.
For West Ham United’s only ever-present this season, there are personal accolades and a top-ten finish to concentrate the mind.
Though he modestly thinks otherwise, Cresswell is among the frontrunners for Hammer of the Year in his debut season and, having played every league minute thus far, wants to see out a memorable campaign in style.
"It would be an honour to take an award like that, but I don't really concentrate on stuff like that,” he said. "Of course it would be a massively proud moment for me, but I want to try and do the best for West Ham and if that comes, I'll be a very proud man to take that.
“I have played every minute up to now and with five games to go I want to try and complete that. Personally and as a team it's gone well, if we finish in the top ten I think it will have been a good season for West Ham.”
But for a difficult 2015 it might have been a whole lot better and with a top-eight finish still within reach, the 25-year-old baulks at suggestions that the Hammers are on their holidays. Far from it, as Cresswell calls for a late-season resurgence to begin at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
He continued: “It's disappointing, the 2015 we've had, considering the first half of the season. It's definitely not the case that we're on our holidays and that we don't care. We want to try and finish as high as we can in the league.
“We're going to go there on Saturday and obviously hope to bring the three points back. We've got five games to go, we want to try and take as many points as we can and finish as high up the league as possible. It's a good place to start on QPR on Saturday.”
Cresswell’s performances this season have been such that Chelsea and Manchester City are said to be among his admirers. But with a new Stadium on the horizon and a long-term contract with the Hammers, Cresswell’s focus is exclusively Claret and Blue.
“I just put it to the back of my mind. I don't read into anything like that. You see things, get a few texts, or whatever it may be, I don't look into it, I concentrate on playing my football for West Ham and doing the best I can. We're all settled and what with moving to the Stadium, I've still got four years left on my contract.”
With four years to play with, Cresswell can certainly see European football on the horizon. He, like so many, is a little puzzled by the Fair Play points system, but would happily embrace a European berth, however it comes about.
“It would be a great thing to play in the Europa League. I'm not too sure how the Fair Play points work, I'm not sure anyone does.
“European football would be hard, looking at the previous teams that have done it, but for us, especially for West Ham, moving into the Stadium as well, if we could take Europe into that, it would be massive.”