Scott Sinclair insists he must forget the roller-coaster start to his Aston Villa career and focus on impressing new boss Tim Sherwood.
The Manchester City loanee was signed by former manager Paul Lambert less than two weeks before the Scot was fired.
Sinclair scored in Sunday's 2-1 FA Cup win over Leicester, his first goal since August 2012, in front of Sherwood who watched after his appointment at the weekend.
And winger Sinclair admits the whole squad must raise their game ahead of Saturday's visit of Stoke.
He said: "It's been a weird one, Paul has brought me in and an awful lot has happened in that time.
"Obviously he's left and Tim Sherwood has come in so now I can look forward to what he's got to bring. Hopefully he can show it to the team.
"Hopefully now we can go into the next game and show it again and get the points in the Premier League.
"Everyone has something to prove, no-one knows if they are going to play so everyone is going to raise their game come the weekend.
"The manager will come in and pick the team and I'm sure the fans will be lifted as well."
Villa are third from bottom in the Premier League having won just twice in their last 21 league games.
Sherwood delivered a half-time team talk against Leicester before Leandro Bacuna and Sinclair scored after the break.
Sinclair missed Sherwood's talk as he was warming up but is eager to work with the former Tottenham chief.
"He came down and shook everyone's hand [before the game] and at half-time all the substitutes go out so I wasn't in there when he was talking to the boys," said the 25-year-old. "I think there's a buzz around the squad and around the fans. Hopefully we can push forward.
"I don't know him personally, I am looking forward to working with him and hopefully he brings something different, it rubs off on the boys and we win games."
Sinclair also confirmed he swapped text messages with axed boss Lambert after his dismissal last Wednesday.
He added: "I wished him well. I was looking forward to working with him and then he left. As a player, a manager brings you in and you're looking to play for him. That's what happens, in football you don't know if you're going to stay or going to go."