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Neco Williams is in awe of what came before him. The names of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Craig Bellamy revered as everlasting icons of Welsh football.
But is walking in their footsteps a gift or a curse? Living up to the soaring standards set by the aforementioned trio is an expectation Williams and his Wales colleagues have no option but to cope with.
Of course, Williams is working alongside one of his heroes in Bellamy, who is currently Wales head coach.
The pair face a big week. Wales face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday before a potential final against Italy or Northern Ireland next week for a place in this summer's tournament.
The shadows of Bale and Ramsey et al continue to loom large – but are they an inspiration or a burden?
"A bit of both," Williams told BBC Sport.
"As kids, you watched the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Craig Bellamy. You grew up idolising them. You wanted to be like them.
"And now that they've retired, it's the new generation to come in. We're not a massive country and we don't have loads and loads of players.
"But the way we are as a team and the togetherness, I think that's what drives us and gets us through.
"Where I used to see myself as a youngster, now I'm not that youngster any more. I'm more the senior player and I need to mentor these young lads coming through. We're a family."
Speaking to Williams, you quickly grasp the level of admiration he holds for Bellamy, who has entrusted the Nottingham Forest full-back to be a key part of the team he hopes qualifies for a second successive World Cup.
Bellamy's rambunctious and infectious approach to his playing career made him one of the Premier League's most effective forwards.
Williams says his approach to management is just as enthralling.
"How good he was as a player, he's the exact same as a manager. He's obsessed with football," said Williams.
"He's just constantly talking about football. He's obsessed with Wales and you want a manager like that."
Having qualified for World Cup 2022 through play-off wins over Austria and Ukraine, Williams knows all about what lies ahead over the next seven days.
Nerves, tension and stress – but Williams insists it will all be worth it if they reach the finals in June.
"It would mean everything," he said.
"I've been blessed enough to get to one and to get to another would be an incredible achievement.
"The World Cup in Qatar - our play-offs were staggered because we played Austria the first game and then because of what was happening in Ukraine, that got pushed on to the summer.
"So it felt like everything about that tournament was a little bit rushed. We were the last team to qualify. We had the last pick with basically everything - the hotels, the travel, the hotels for our family.
"And when we were there, it was all was our first World Cup, so we didn't really know what to expect.
"I think we'd do better if we get to this World Cup."
