MARC Albrighton’s return to form has been put down to sheer hard work by his captain and manager, who reckon the winger is his own worst critic.

Albrighton scored and impressed in last Saturday’s 2-1 win at Bolton and gave encouraging glimpses he is capable of getting back to his best.

Skipper Stiliyan Petrov and boss Alex McLeish were delighted to see the wideboy shine as a result of his dedication and high standards

Albrighton was expected to help fill the creative void left by Stewart Downing and Ashley Young’s summer departures following last season’s emergence.

But Petrov admits it has taken the 22-year-old a few months to come to terms with the added pressure on his shoulders in his second full campaign.

“I am delighted for Marc,” said Petrov. “He’s had a real tough time. Before the season started, all the expectations were really high for Marc.

“Everyone was looking to him to be a replacement for Stewart or Ashley when they left.

“It wasn’t the best start for him, but the one thing you saw was how hard he was working. He was upset. He’s that sort of player. He wants to learn. He wants to improve and if things don’t go his way on the pitch, he is not happy to just accept it, he wants to put it right.