Charlie Webster believes Burton Albion have the quality to compete with every team in League One, after the Brewers climbed to seventh in the table with a 1-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Saturday.

"We've gelled as a team and we've had a good start to the season," the 22-year-old told BBC Radio Derby. "We are pushing in the right direction and that is the big thing. We have shown that we can start games bright and sharp, which is important. And it shows that we can go toe-to-toe with most, if not all the teams in this league."

A different challenge this time around

The context behind those words matters. Webster's first two seasons at Burton, after he joined from Chelsea on a three-year deal, were consumed by relegation battles. Back-to-back scraps near the bottom of the division are exactly the kind of experience that shapes a player's outlook, and the midfielder says this campaign already feels different in character.

Burton heading into October sitting in the top half, having beaten a high-flying side away from home, is a sign of genuine progress. The Pirelli Stadium outfit are no longer simply hoping to survive; they are testing themselves against the division's better teams and, at least in part, passing those tests.

Webster's road to the Pirelli

Before making his permanent move to Burton, Webster spent a season on loan in the Netherlands with Heerenveen, an experience that clearly broadened his game. His development at the east Staffordshire club has not been straightforward, however. A lengthy injury lay-off last season threatened to derail his progress, and he admitted it was a significant mental challenge to navigate.

Webster revealed he was perhaps better equipped than most to handle the psychological side of a long absence from the pitch, given that his mother works as a psychologist. Whether that background genuinely helped him process the frustration of sitting on the sidelines, it is clear he has returned to the side in good shape; manager Ian Bowyer recently identified him as the next man in line to make his mark for the Brewers.

What the table says

Seventh place, on the back of a win at a fellow promotion contender, is no fluke position. League One is notoriously tight across its middle third, where a run of three or four wins can carry a side from comfortable mid-table into genuine play-off contention. Burton currently sit just outside the top six, meaning every point between now and the winter break has real weight.

The Plymouth result, in particular, carries a hint of something beyond mere points. Travelling to a side near the top of the division and keeping a clean sheet while taking all three points is the kind of result that shifts the mood inside a dressing room. Webster's confidence, as expressed to BBC Radio Derby, sounds grounded rather than boastful; it is the kind of quiet certainty that tends to come from getting results in difficult places.

The bigger picture for Burton

After two seasons spent looking anxiously over their shoulders, the Brewers now have the freedom to look upward. Whether Webster and his teammates can sustain that level of performance across a full League One campaign remains to be seen, but the early evidence suggests Burton are no longer a side that opponents simply expect to beat. That, in itself, represents a meaningful shift.

Frequently asked

Where are Burton Albion in the League One table?
Burton Albion moved up to seventh in the League One table after beating Plymouth Argyle 1-0 away from home on Saturday.
Who is Charlie Webster and where did he come from?
Charlie Webster is a 22-year-old midfielder who joined Burton Albion from Chelsea on a three-year deal. Before moving to Burton he spent a season on loan in the Netherlands with Heerenveen.
Are Burton Albion promotion contenders this season?
Burton are currently seventh in League One, just outside the top six play-off places, and have made a solid start after two previous seasons spent battling relegation.