Kevin De Bruyne earned his place back in the Manchester City team after impressing Pep Guardiola in training.
It has been a tough summer for a footballer who picked up his second consecutive PFA Player of the Year award back in June, with the trauma of a fractured eye socket in the Champions League final and then torn ankle ligaments in Euro 2020 affecting his return to Manchester for the new campaign.
Having taken until November to get back up to speed, De Bruyne then tested positive for Covid-19 in the international break to reset his progress and leave him short of rhythm again.
City have been able to win without the Belgian playmaker, with Rodri and Bernardo Silva stepping up in midfield to guide Guardiola's side to the top of the table.
De Bruyne is in the running for our Fans' Footballer of the Year award - you can vote for him here.
However, De Bruyne looked razor-sharp in the 7-0 thrashing of Leeds in what was his first league start in over a month and just his sixth for the season.
If the player's return gives Guardiola a welcome selection problem, it was only down to the graft of the star at the City Football Academy that convinced his manager that he was ready to make such an impact. Guardiola often talks about the need for his players to put effort into everything they do and one of the most senior members of the squad led by example.
"The last two or three days in training I said this guy is humble enough to accept he has to work," he said.
"He's phenomenal. We need him. He's so important for us."
