Rodwell featured for Everton in their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, after having been out of action since August with an ankle injury.
“I’m four weeks ahead of schedule so I’m very happy to be back,” he said in the Liverpool Echo.
“It was my first game back in a long time and while I was pleased to get back on the pitch I was disappointed with the result.
“It felt a bit unusual getting back out on the pitch again and trying to find my feet, but I settled down and was happy with the minutes I got under my belt. Now I just need to build up a bit more confidence and get a bit more playing time. If I can do that I’m sure my performances will come back.”
Rodwell admits he was wary of rushing back from injury too soon, with the knock having played on his mind in training, but feels he is not too far short of recapturing his best form.
“It is a psychological thing,” admitted the 19-year-old.
“In the first couple of weeks of training I wasn’t confident at all, my movement was off and everything.
“It plays on your mind a bit and you don’t do well in training and feel a bit low. But the more you do in training and the better you get, you start feeling more confident.
“Today definitely helped me in that respect and I’ve got the U21s now to hopefully get a bit more playing time and come back in good shape.
“It’s just a case of getting on the pitch now, getting more confidence and getting more minutes under my belt. If I can do that I’m sure I’ll be knocking on the door.”
