Chelsea academy star Ruben Loftus-Cheek has shined brightly on loan at Crystal Palace this season.
The 22-year-old midfielder - who won his first cap for England earlier this season - was constantly overlooked by Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge last season.
Loftus-Cheek made zero Premier League starts under the enigmatic Italian coach during Chelsea's Premier League winning campaign.
The highly-rated Londoner played just 29 minutes of league football under Conte and was forced to leave his boyhood club on a season-long loan.
Loftus-Cheek quickly became an important player in the heart of the Crystal Palace midfield - before suffering a knee injury in December which sidelined him for two-and-a-half months.
"I have had to be really patient," said Loftus-Cheek earlier this season. "It was tough mentally at Chelsea, obviously not getting the game time.
"I had to be really patient and have the mentality to still train right and do all the right things."
It appears his performances in training definitely caught the eye of the Chelsea manager in the 2016/17 season.
What Conte told his backroom staff about Loftus-Cheek
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea's Italian coach was massively impressed by the young midfielder last season.
Towards the end of last season, Conte went as far as to tell his backroom staff that Loftus-Cheek would be the first name on his teamsheet based on his performances in training.
The Telegraph state that, under the pressure from the board, "Conte felt he could not risk playing Loftus-Cheek."
Incredible. If Conte really rated the youngster that highly, surely he would've given him a chance to shine. And what kind of message does this send to the budding young Chelsea stars hoping to make the grade in west London?
It is a problem that has plagued all Chelsea managers since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.
The Blues have one of the finest youth academies in the country but have failed to fully integrate a single player into the first team since John Terry.
Having returned from a two-year loan in Germany, 21-year-old Andreas Christensen does appear to have broken into the Chelsea first XI this season.
Chelsea will surely have a new manager in charge next season - but will he give Loftus-Cheek an opportunity to prove himself? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.