Ben Williams arrived at Brunton Park last summer on a three-year contract
Carlisle United goalkeeper Ben Williams is determined to prove his doubters wrong after returning to the Cumbrians' starting line-up.
Summer signing Williams, 26, lost his place after a series of costly mistakes before winning it back when on-loan Tim Krul returned to Newcastle in January.
"I'm not going to lie," Williams told BBC Radio Cumbria. "It's been tough. You have to prepare yourself for that.
"It's case of just getting on with it and having faith in your own ability."
Williams has now had five games back in the team - but it was not until Saturday's 2-0 victory at Brighton that he was on a winning team again.
You've got to be a bit nuts to be a keeper. I'm finding that out about myself
Ben Williams
And he admits his first clean sheet since the 0-0 draw at Leyton Orient back in August will have done wonders for confidence.
"Obviously that helps massively," he said. "It's not easy coming into the side when you're midway through the season.
"I hadn't played competitive football for a couple of months so it was a case of finding my feet again."
Williams, who began his career as a trainee with Manchester United, enjoyed loan spells at Coventry City and Chesterfield before beginning a four-year stop at Crewe in the summer of 2004.
He then joined Carlisle on a three-year deal from Crewe when Keiren Westwood left for Coventry in a �750,000 deal last summer.
However, Williams does not believe the pressure to replace Westwood contributed to his poor early-season form.
"It doesn't concern me that one bit to be honest," he said. "Keiren was a good goalkeeper who will go on to do even more.
"But I'm my own man. I'm sure someone at Crewe is being asked the same thing about following me.
"Looking back, I would have liked some more time in the team to have rectified my mistakes but unfortunately I didn't get that run. But I think it went on to show that it wasn't just the goalkeeper.
"The natural reaction when a goal goes in is to look at the goalkeeper. I find myself doing that myself when watching games live without the benefit of a replay.
"I daresay I've come in for a bit of stick and that when people have seen it again have said it wasn't my fault. But you just have to get on with it. I accept that."
Williams believes the last few months have been the most difficult of his career but have also defined his strength of character.
"You've got to be a bit nuts to be a keeper, I'm finding that out about myself," he said.
"If I wasn't a strong character I'd probably have crumbled.
"You have to take criticism wrong, accept it, get on with it and prove people wrong."
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