A YEAR is a long time in football and for Wycombe Wanderers midfielder Luke O’Nien the past 12 months have been truly transformative.

After being released by Watford in the summer of 2015, the 21-year-old was left in the footballing wilderness and searching for a route back into the professional game.

Fast-forward to June 2016 and O’Nien, who signed a three-year contract extension in April, is firmly established as a central figure at Adams Park. It is a change of circumstances he can hardly believe himself.

O’Nien said: “It is an odd one. A year ago I was unemployed and I didn’t really know where I was going to go or what I was going to do.

“The one thing I did know was that somebody could say no to me but they couldn’t stop me from working hard.

“Every single day I worked hard. Nobody can stop me doing that and when the chance came around I was ready to take it.”

O’Nien’s appetite for work certainly hasn’t diminished since earning his move to Wanderers and his commitment has endeared him to Wycombe fans.

He has adapted to the demands of League Two football with ease and looks set to be an integral part of manager Gareth Ainsworth’s plans for the foreseeable future.

His three-year contract represents a strong showing of faith from Wanderers and Ainsworth has previously suggested O’Nien is the sort of player he could build a squad around.

Of course, O’Nien must now repay the club’s confidence in him, but the former Wealdstone man has no concerns about coping with the added responsibility.

“It is great to have the trust from the gaffer and all I can do is thank him by working hard day in day out,” O’Nien explains.

“There is always personal pressure that you put on yourself and it is always good to have that. It shows you care and you are passionate about the game.

“It [Ainsworth’s praise] won’t change my mind-set and I am going to continue to work on my game. We will be an exciting team if everyone focuses on their jobs next season.”

The pain of being let go by Watford, a club he spent 14 years at, still rankles somewhat with O’Nien and the drive to prove his doubters wrong also feeds his will to succeed.

“Any sportsperson, especially at the top level, has set-backs and it is how you deal with the set-back that matters,” he said.

“It is one person’s opinion and I think being released has made me stronger and made me more motivated.

“You always want to prove people who maybe didn’t put faith in you wrong. You are never going to be everyone’s cup of tea and it is good to show those people what you can do.”