Cyrus Christie has come out fighting in the wake of questions over his defensive capabilities, arguing that his performances this season have "proved to a lot of people I can defend".
The Republic of Ireland full-back will go into Euro 2016 as Seamus Coleman's back-up, while he can also feature on the opposite flank and further upfield, where he began his professional career.
Indeed, that attacking instinct has been used to question his defensive abilities, especially in the wake of a subpar display in Ireland's final warm-up match against Belarus last week.
The 23-year-old's chances of adding to his five caps in France will depend on Martin O'Neill's confidence in him, but the Derby County defender believes his displays at club level this season demonstrate his progress.
"I haven't been playing right back for that long and right wing is where I started my career," Christie said.
"I am comfortable playing further up the pitch than say defending, and when you are that attacking, everyone tends to pick up on the defensive faults because it seems to shine through that you're not defensively capable.
"But this season I haven't really been done defensively. Everyone wants to pick up on one little aspect of my defensive part but I think this season I've been reasonably solid.
"At Derby it was they best they've done all season [defensively] since the early 1980s, to be part of a team like that you have to be able to defend."
Christie was caught out badly for Belarus' second goal at Turner's Cross, and the player gave an honest assessment of how much work he still needs to do to become an international regular.
"In the Belarus game, I was isolated a lot, two-v-one, we were playing a different kind of shape and I was doing a lot of work up and down," he said.
"I probably could have done better for the second goal, I hold my hands up to that, but Martin O'Neill was complimentary to me when we spoke after the game and said I'd done well.
"I am always learning defensively, I won't say I'm the greatest defender because I'm not, but it's about learning and each year and each game I'm learning a lot.
"This season I feel like I'm come out on top against my wingers and that I've proved to a lot of people that I can defend.
"It's always going to be a question mark over my head because of my attacking capabilities but I'm just taking it in my stride and learning every day."
While toughness and aggression are often the attributes that help those at the back stand out, Christie acknowledged that he doesn't fit the bill of the traditional no-nonsense defender.
"I don't go in and smash people because that's not my game, I'm not going to headbutt the back of someone's head.
"That's not me, I'm a patient defender. I'm laid back and I wait for the opportunity. It's the consistency of what I do over the game that I need to improve on.
"Up against great players, you can get punished. Just one lapse of concentration and it can be a goal. Going into a major tournament you have to be ready and you have to concentrate for the full 90 minutes."
