In 2014, Eliaquim Mangala arrived on English soil with a £30m price-tag stamped on his forehead and a growing reputation as one of Europe’s finest defenders.
Almost five years later - and with just several months remaining on his bumper Manchester City contract - the French international would be forgiven for wondering where it all went wrong.
Mangala lined up against David Unsworth’s Everton U23s 430 days after arriving at Goodison Park on loan under Sam Allardyce.
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The disastrous loan spell - which heralded just two appearances before a season-ending injury - will not be remembered fondly by any party.
Mangala’s debut was the 5-1 hammering by Arsenal at the Emirates which was, potentially, the worst away performance of the campaign.
The 28-year-old, coincidentally, made his return from a recent injury against his former club on Sunday to record his fourth appearance for City’s youth side this year.
But this story, of course, is not about Mangala.
Brendan Galloway, Lewis Gibson, Dennis Adeniran and Josh Bowler all lined up against the former Toffee as Unsworth’s U23s fell to a rollercoaster 4-3 defeat.
Everton parted with relatively considerable sums of money to land the quartet and although it was nowhere near the £30m splashed out on Mangala, price-tags come with a certain pressure.
Galloway has been unfortunate in the way his career has unfolded on Merseyside while Gibson, Adeniran and Bowler are all hoping to catch the eye of Marco Silva and Marcel Brands.
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Gibson, it seems, has the best chance of progressing through the ranks with Adeniran and Bowler impressing in spells since arriving in the summer of 2017.
Mangala, then, acts almost as a Ghost of Christmas Past.
It was strange to see him lining up against the young Blues, his hulking frame looking oddly out of place.
But when the game kicked off, it was clear to see his confidence is shot.
Footballers are, of course, human beings, and his loan spell at Everton - plus being moved to the sidelines by Pep Guardiola - has obviously impacted upon the former Porto star.
During the first-half, he tried an ambitious cross-field pass but kicked into the turf. The ball, somehow, reached its target after bobbling across the pitch.
Mangala released a scream of frustration, but it felt like there was something more to it.
A sense of bewilderment, perhaps, that Champions League nights and league titles had evaporated into youth team football.
Galloway himself would be forgiven for also letting out his anger.
A bright prospect who looked to be the replacement for Leighton Baines under Roberto Martinez, his recent miseries could end with a move away during the summer.
There is Championship interest in a loan move for Gibson while Adeniran and Bowler would both be best served with a temporary switch.
None of the side who have helped Unsworth’s U23’s to the verge of Premier League 2 glory have been handed a chance to impress Marco Silva in first-team action this year.
Several stars have trained with the senior squad but Tom Davies was the last youngster to make a clear breakthrough.
The problem Everton now face is ensuring their bright young talents do not suffer the same crisis of confidence as Mangala.
It is not just at Goodison Park where academy prospects, from a young age, are told how good they are and how good they can be.
Galloway, Gibson, Adeniran and Bowler have the added caveat of being head-hunted and paid for. They have been sold a dream by Everton that they are all striving to achieve.
CLICK HERE for David Unsworth's transfer warning to his young Everton stars after defeat at Manchester City
But the four probably feel as far away from the first-team as they did when they signed.
With big-money splashed on defenders last summer as well as Andre Gomes and Bernard arriving, chances have been slim for the youngsters.
Chances, in fact, have been non-existent.
And as Mangala let out his roar of frustration, it may well have dawned on him that his opportunity to establish himself as a Premier League footballer could well be over.
For the Everton quartet, there’s still time.
They are four hugely talented young footballers who are hungry to impress and have all shown their talents throughout a successful campaign for the U23s.
But it’s now up to Everton to ensure they manage their young stars properly in an increasingly cut-throat environment.
Mangala’s fall from grace is striking when you consider he played two Champions League games last season.
For now, a chance to impress at either Goodison Park or elsewhere would be enough for Unsworth’s regulars.
Mangala shook hands with each player in a Royal Blue jersey at the end of the game and sloped off quietly while some of his team-mates posed for pictures with fans and family.
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This is not where he hoped to be five years ago and not where he will be next year.
For Everton’s starlets, Mangala’s rise-and-fall highlights just how difficult a beast the Premier League can be to master.
Brands, Silva, Unsworth and Everton’s coaching set-up must now help Galloway and the others regain their confidence and point them towards a successful career in professional football.
