Danny Rose is relishing the chance to prove his potential after filling a key role in Telford Tigers’ defence during Sunday’s 4-1 win over Guildford Flames.

The 21-year-old was one of just four recognised defensemen for much of the game, after Telford lost both Sam Zajac and Martin Ondrej to injury early on.

Rose has been an ever-present since joining the club in 2012 and remains one of coach Tom Watkins’ most trusted lieutenants. He repaid that faith with an impressive performance against Guildford, as Telford served notice of their EPL title intentions.

He said: “We had to step up on Sunday, and that’s what we did. As a team, you never want to go down to four defensemen, but we filled the roles after losing those two guys.

“We just got in there and did the jobs that sometimes we don’t get the opportunities to do. It is good for us to show we can do that, if needed to.

“Because we don’t have a letter on our shirt, it doesn’t mean we’re not a leader. We proved that we can take the reigns of the others guys when they’re tired and then do what is required.”

The former Nottingham player moved to live in Telford at the start of this season, joining the ranks of the club’s full-time professionals players.

He added: “Living in Telford has made a big difference for me, as it means I can get into the gym every day and work on my game at every training session.

I can look at lots of aspects of what I do and at every session I’m working on something new. That is helping me out a lot this season.”

Rose was an integral part of last year’s double-winning squad and is now using the opportunity to learn at the hands of the club’s seasoned professionals.

“I’ve had to grow up a lot as a player over the years, after arriving in Telford with a face cage on,” he said.

“Being around guys like Jonathan Weaver, Rick Plant, Max Birbraer and Jason Silverthorn has helped me mature a lot, both on and off the ice.”