Finding Suso: Former Liverpool starlet realising potential at AC Milan
Think back to the 2014-15 Liverpool side that Suso - now the leading actor in AC Milan's return to relevance - couldn't quite crack.
It's full of awful trivia.
Suso couldn't earn a Premier League nod ahead of the likes of Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli, and Jordon Ibe - all players who were pushed out over the past couple of years.
With his Liverpool contract running into the months, then manager Brendan Rodgers failed to offer a new deal that satisfied Suso - in both economic and competitive terms. So in January 2015 he joined Milan, which paid a nominal €1.3-million fee for a player at risk of leaving for nothing.
At one point, it looked like the promising starlet had reached the same kind of impasse at Milan that forced him to quit Liverpool. He had to join Genoa on loan before he could truly test himself in Serie A.
But almost two years after signing with the Rossoneri, the 23-year-old has become the focal point of their attack, and one of the main reasons why the team's pushing for a first Champions League spot in four seasons.
Suso moved to the fashion capital at a turbulent time. Vincenzo Montella, the man who finally entrusted the nomadic Spaniard with a starting berth, is already the player's fourth manager at the San Siro.
Game time was rare. As with many others, Suso had the look of someone who'd have to leave Milan to get his shot. The same happened to Matteo Darmian and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - two high-profile academy graduates who failed to make the club's first team.
But Montella did something that Rodgers never did: From the start of the 2016-17 campaign, he gave Suso an opportunity to display his goal-scoring and playmaking ability.
And display it he has.
The Cadiz native has realised his long-rumoured potential. His most recent run of form is stunning: Suso's been involved in seven of Milan's past eight goals, including two in the derby against Inter.
His contributions Saturday against Empoli won Milan a match in which it otherwise looked shaky. He gave his teammates confidence and service. Teeing up Gianluca Lapadula twice and guiding in the eventual game-winner in a 4-1 victory, Suso was Milan's driving force.
Related - Youth movement: Locatelli, Donnarumma lead Milan's resurgence
He has so far quenched Montella's thirst for possession football, picking it up in various positions and gunning for the penalty area. There's a sense of danger and purpose every time he's on the ball. His willingness to take on defenders and create space for himself is instinctive.
He's also spotting teammates in scoring situations. His six assists lead Serie A, and he's well on his way to recording double digits in both goals and helpers.
Not many Milan supporters had any idea what they'd get out of Suso, not least because he hardly got a chance to prove it. Touted as more of a trequartista, he's developed into a resourceful winger on the right flank. He has fielded comparisons to Arjen Robben, in that he's a left-footed wizard who enjoys cutting in and letting fly.
Jurgen Klopp dropped £34 million to buy a similar player in the summer: Sadio Mane. The Senegalese is much quicker and fleet-footed than his Spanish counterpart, but their attacking profile is similar.
Liverpool's mistake is Milan's gain. He's just one of many who've found success elsewhere after failing to make the grade in the Premier League.
And as his performances can attest, it has nothing to do with talent, ambition, or suitability; it's down to playing time. He's getting it at Milan, and he's making the difference.