Back in the autumn, there was a very clear breakout star in the offing at Liverpool's Academy.
Melkamu Frauendorf, a summer arrival from Hoffenheim, caught the eye for the under-18s with a series of engaging performances that earned him two goals and two assists in his first eight appearances.
Since then, though, niggling injuries have hampered the attacking midfielder - who turned 17 in January - although a strike in February's 2-1 mini-derby win over Everton was a highlight.
Frauendorf has been restricted to just 25 minutes of action in the run to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals despite winger Kaide Gordon being ineligible for the competition.
But the Germany U16 midfielder responded to being handed the captain's armband on Tuesday by scoring his first brace for Liverpool as the young Reds ended their U18 Premier League North campaign with a 3-0 win over Derby County at Kirkby.
And if Fraudendorf knew little about his first goal - unwittingly deflecting Tommy Pilling's shot into the net - U18s boss Marc Bridge-Wilkinson is in no doubt such reward was merited.
"Sometimes that's what you need, getting a goal with a little bit of luck," he says.
"He puts so much work into his game and practices so hard that you deserve a little bit of fortune.
"Mel has had a couple of setbacks this season through injury but he shows his potential every time he plays.
"He works his socks off, is a great lad and a great character to have around and rightfully he was captain on Tuesday."
Gordon crossed for Fraudendorf to score Liverpool's third shortly after half-time having opened the scoring against his former club after just 10 minutes - a sixth goal in his last four games.
"He was really up for it, as you might expect!" says Bridge-Wilkinson. "He was really good.
"He wants to play in every game like any other boy, but unfortunately he's already played in the Youth Cup for Derby this season and those are the rules.
"At the minute he is taking every chance he gets. He has lots and lots of potential, as have so many of the other boys,
"We take it slowly and keep working with him."
With Liverpool fielding an entirely different starting line-up to the one that beat Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final at Anfield four days earlier, there was an opportunity for a number of younger players to step up.
Striker Pilling was one to impress, while Calum Scanlon - signed as a 15-year-old for £500,000 from Birmingham City in December - showed real pace and promise while making his Reds debut at this level at left-back.
"I thought Tommy was fantastic - he did really, really well," adds Bridge-Wilkinson. "All the lads stepped up to the challenge.
"It was always going to be physically tough against boys who are two years older but they all came out with credit.
"Tommy was probably the best one. He was one of a lot of the boys who were at school during the day then turned up in the evening to play.
"Calum the same, he was at school. He looked comfortable on his debut, he didn't look out of place at this level and that's all you can ask for."
