Chelsea finished the calendar year off with a disappointing home draw against Brighton.
Two years to the day since Tariq Lamptey made his Chelsea debut in a 2-1 win over Arsenal, he came back to Stamford Bridge tonight to showcase all the qualities he has and Chelsea will miss.
Thomas Tuchel tried to nullify the threat of Lamptey down the Chelsea left-hand side by starting Reece James on that side.
The two academy graduates are well acquainted, having come through the ranks together at Cobham and trained on a daily basis, with the two forming a great partnership on the right-hand side through their academy days.
It could have been a duo Tuchel could have called upon tonight if things hadn't gone the way they have.
A lot has happened in the last few years, with more academy players getting a chance. The club won't like seeing players they've helped get to such a level leave for low fees and not trusting the opportunity will come at Chelsea.
They will be hoping the introduction of former club captain John Terry in a mentor role will help stop the rot of stars leaving Cobham for a chance elsewhere. The list of stars making a name for themselves after leaving Chelsea is growing by the day, with players like Tino Livramento, Marc Guehi and Jamal Musiala proving they are good enough to get chances elsewhere if the club isn't willing to give them a chance.
For many years at the club, John Terry was the star and bridged the gap between the first team and academy buildings. He was a role model to many, and the younger players felt welcome when they got the chance in the first-team group.
Over the years, many stories have come out about how Terry would help the younger players with acts of kindness and be around for the younger players with advice.
Lamptey started to get a chance in the first team under Frank Lampard but turned down a contract extension, fearing an opportunity in the side wouldn't come with James and Livramento contracted to the club. With 18 months left on his deal, the club cashed in on Lamptey while they still could.
Eighteen months after Lamptey left for Brighton, Academy Player of the Year Tino Livramento also questioned his future at the club with 12 months left on his deal and with the Blues being heavily linked to Hakimi. The club cashed in yet again, but both wing-backs have proven since their sales that they are more than good enough to play in the Premier League.
If John Terry and the academy can help stop the stars of the future from leaving the club and sticking around for a chance to impress, the side could go from strength to strength in the next few seasons.
Saving big money on stars like Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Trevoh Chalobah, Andreas Christensen and James has meant the club can then spend big on a player of Romelu Lukaku's quality and not need to buy £30million back up players as they have in the past.
Please Chelsea, keep showing the academy players they have a future. We can't go back to the days of never giving the academy stars a chance and spending silly money on back-up players we don't want or need a season later.
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