Awer Mabil has been on the periphery with Denmark's Midtjylland but the former Reds winger is convinced toughing it out will reap long-term rewards.

The club slumped to third after their breakthrough championship of 2014-15 in the Danish Superliga.

Mabil made just nine senior appearances in his first season outside Australia.

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"It hasn't been what I expected. To be honest, in terms of playing-wise.

"I haven't played a lot but in saying that I've had some great experience, and just because I'm not playing doesn't mean it's not going to happen," he told Goal Australia.

"It's a matter for me now about learning about the mental side of the game because the other side of the game I think I'm good at, except for defending but I'm still working on that.

"But the mental side of the game here in Europe, you have to be strong, so it's something I'm learning."

With the Superliga season having a long winter break, players only get two weeks' holiday between campaigns.

Mabil will spend part of that time in Kenya supporting his Barefoot to Boots Foundation, which provides football gear for refugees.

"It really does take football off my mind," the 20-year-old said.

"I don't want just football to control my emotions because it has too much emotions, in terms of when things are not going your way, you know what I mean?

"So that's another way of refreshing and helping at the same time."

The skilful winger concedes that he has questioned his decision to join Midtjylland at times - "sometimes I feel like 'what am I doing here, if I'm not going to play?'" - but believes the move will pay off in the long run.

"I have a dream of going to the Premier League or La Liga, so I know this is the path I have to go through and not everything's going to be handed to me," he said