It's easy to forget the struggles endured by Fabinho when he first arrived at Liverpool three years ago.
Signed from Monaco in a £39million deal ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, the Brazilian has established himself as one of the leading defensive midfielders in European football.
But it has by no means been easy for the 27-year-old, who was used sparingly by Jurgen Klopp during the early stages of his career at Anfield.
Klopp's reluctance to throw Fabinho straight in at the deep end led to concerns that the midfield maestro would struggle to adjust to the demands of Liverpool's system.
Indeed, those struggles were evident during the Reds' pre-season preparations and Klopp was then forced to defend Fabinho after he was left out of the 18-man Premier League squad for a trip to Crystal Palace, despite travelling to Selhurst Park.
The Liverpool manager even urged the midfielder to follow the example of Andy Robertson, who overcame a slow early start to establish himself in the first-team, while Klopp also acknowledged that the player needed time to adjust to "different football".
Speaking back in August 2018, Klopp said: "It is about players understanding the position and who else is available as well, otherwise Fabinho would have been involved in the squad as he was in the first week. That is it.
"It is different football to what he is used to but he is improving already with big steps.
"I can see that in the sessions and that is cool. He is used to playing at a high level in France. It is not about who we play but about how we play. It is all fine. For sure it is not nice for a new player (to not be playing). It never was.
"But you see Andy Robertson now and he's a completely different person to the one who was here in the first three months. That's how it is. But everything will be fine with Fabinho."
It's fair to say Klopp was spot on.
Fabinho has played an instrumental role in Liverpool's success in recent seasons, starring in the Champions League triumph in his second season and last year's Premier League title win.
And, his importance in midfield has become more evident this season, with an injury crisis forcing Klopp to field Fabinho in central defence.
He adapted to his new role immediately but his absence in midfield has certainly been felt.
However on Wednesday night, Fabinho returned to his familiar position as the Reds advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals.
A 2-0 win over RB Leipzig thanks to Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, who scored the 100th goal in Klopp's 44th match in charge of the Reds in the competition, secured a 4-0 aggregate win which eased them into the last eight for the third time in four years.
Key to the relative ease of victory in Budapest was the restoration of Fabinho to central midfield for the first time since he was forced to permanently deputise at centre-back when Virgil Van Dijk's season was ended by a knee injury in the Merseyside derby in mid-October.
After the victory, Klopp revealed his admiration for Fabinho - and hailed him as one of the best in the world.
"It was my hope for the season and during the season (to play the Brazilian in midfield) but it didn't happen so we have to see what solutions we can find the next few games," said Klopp.
"Of course, number six is his best position, he is one of the best in the world in that position that is clear: not only defending-wise but creating as well."
Fabinho has come a long way since his arrival at Anfield - and Liverpool are now reaping the rewards.
