Loris Karius kicked up a right kerfuffle with comments earlier this week about his return to Liverpool.
First, there was the insistence he's "not in a pressure situation" to change clubs given he still has two years remaining on his contract.
And then came his claim about how life would be like if he stayed at Anfield having returned last month.
"I can accelerate in training at Liverpool," said Karius. "As the second-choice goalkeeper in England you know that you get your chances.
"It is the same with Liverpool, where I am the challenger. When I am asked, I am there to perform and help the team."
A number of Reds supporters scoffed at the suggestions Karius was ready to challenge Alisson Becker for the number one role.
In the two seasons the German has been on loan at Besiktas, Alisson has confirmed his place as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, with Adrian now the deputy and Academy graduate Caoimhin Kelleher third choice.
The inference is Karius is simply wasting his time.
That may ultimately be the case with Liverpool having long since moved on from his Champions League final nightmare against Real Madrid in May 2018.
But Karius should not be admonished for his latest interview. If anything, he should be applauded.
They were hardly the words of a player still perturbed by events in Kiev. They were those of someone who realistically knows his place at Anfield right now but is demonstrating an appetite to change it, as unlikely as that seems.
And even if Karius never plays again, his self-belief and willingness to fight indicate rebuilt confidence.
Any prospective buyer would be encouraged by such noises and therefore make Karius a more appealing target and allow Liverpool to ask for a greater fee.
The Champions League final of 2018 may have perhaps finished Karius as a Liverpool player.
But it's heartening to discover he has now clearly come to terms with his own personal demons from that evening.
