When Manchester City youngster Tommy Doyle was sent on loan to Hamburg on transfer deadline day, there were likely a few raised eyebrows among City fans.
Doyle, a 20-year-old academy product who is the grandson of City legends Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe, has been pushing on the fringes of Pep Guardiola's first team for the past year or so.
There was an expectation that he would follow in the footsteps of Phil Foden and more recently Cole Palmer by sticking around and working closely with Guardiola and City's mercurial talents.
So why was he packed off to the German second division? The example set by Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham might help to explain why.
Doyle's first two-and-a-half months in Hamburg have been characterised by patience and steady progress. After sitting on the bench in the first three games he was available for, the central midfielder has made substitute appearances in each of the five 2. Bundeliga matches since.
On his third outing for the club he even played the role of super-sub, scoring a 90th-minute winner away at Paderborn just seconds after coming off the bench. He has not yet started a league game for the fallen German giants, whose fourth consecutive season in the second tier has begun with eight draws from 13 matches, leaving them seventh in the table.
Doyle had shown glimpses of the creative spark that saw him rise up through the City ranks over the years, but it's clear there are areas of his game, particularly defensively and physically, that need improvement. It's important to remember that Doyle is trying to perform while adapting to a new country, language, team and culture.
In the view of OneFootball's Dominik Berger, Doyle's lack of minutes shouldn't necessarily be a surprise nor a concern at the moment.
"The German second league is very much about mentality," he said.
"He came from a very successful team at academy level to a struggling team. [In that situation] it's always hard for new players, especially loanees, to stand out and show their quality on the pitch for 90 minutes.
"He has his qualities, but the whole machine of Hamburg isn't working like they'd hoped at the moment."
If the success enjoyed by Sancho and Bellingham is anything to go by, then Doyle's decision to move to Germany could prove to be very worthwhile indeed.
Sancho left City aged 17 in 2017, opting for first-team minutes at Borussia Dortmund rather than biding his time at City. Bellingham, 16 when he made the same move from Birmingham City, saw the German club as a route to playing at the top level.
Of course, Hamburg aren't going to be playing in the Champions League, and possibly not even the Bundesliga, any time soon. Yet there is still something about moving to Germany, whatever the level, that opens doors for English youngsters that staying at home might not.
"The opportunity couldn't be better for young English talents. The Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga might not be the biggest leagues, but you usually play in front of full stadiums, very good atmospheres, and everything is well organised," Dominik added.
"The league - except for Bayern Munich - is struggling to buy expensive players, so they have to look around and bring in the young promising talents. The chance to play and be a 'little' star at the beginning of your career is a very promising thing."
The style of German football can aid player development too, says Dominik.
"It's more physical than in Spain or Italy. It's more honest - in terms of mentality and physicality. These are things English fans want to see from their players."
Ultimately, only time will tell if the loan spell will help Doyle to break into Guardiola's first-team plans at City. However, what is certain is that the experience is unlikely to harm his chances.
Do you think Tommy Doyle could make an impact in the City first team next season? Follow City Is Ours writer Alex Brotherton and OneFootball's Dominik Berger on Twitter to join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
