Leicester City star James Maddison is one of the most captivating English playmakers available to Gareth Southgate but his chances of making the Euro 2021 squad are beginning to fade.
In recent weeks Jack Grealish and Mason Mount have come to dominate discourse surrounding the England national side.
Gareth Southgate's reluctance to deploy Aston Villa's talisman has frustrated fans, pundits and the media alike, with his prevailing appreciation for Mount serving as an obstacle for Grealish's place in the starting XI.
Against Ireland on Thursday evening, however, Southgate incorporated both Premier League technicians into his side.
The prognosis was overwhelmingly positive following a pair of complete performances from Mount and Grealish, who complimented each other well on the night and both earned 9/10 ratings for their performances, per Sky Sports.
Perhaps there is a place for both players in the Three Lions side after all.
At the age of 21, Mount already has 10 international caps and looks to be in the ascendancy having started England's last three games. Grealish, meanwhile, is fresh on the scene but has started two of the last four fixtures.
But while Mount and Grealish receive plenty of acclaim and begin to stamp their mark on the international stage, Maddison has fallen into the shadows and remains on the periphery of the England conversation.
And with time up against Maddison ahead of Euro 2021, it's looking increasingly unlikely that he'll be able to force his way into the first-team picture.
A place in the squad remains a possibility but Ross Barkley's resurgence at Aston Villa, which has seen him rise into 2nd in the Premier League's key passing charts, is also a cause for concern.
Injuries have restricted Maddison in the 2020/21 campaign but he is slowly re-establishing himself in Brendan Rodgers' starting XI, scoring three goals and assisting another three in all competitions so far this season.
In order to usurp Mount and Grealish, though, he'll need to conjure up something special.
Maddison scored 13 goals and provided ten assists across 67 Premier League games in his first two seasons at the King Power Stadium, while his impressive and intuitive link-up play was palpable on a weekly basis.
Despite his offering of creativity, swagger and end-product, Maddison, who is valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, has only managed to earn one England cap in his career thus far.
That does not make for promising reading for Maddison with Euro 2021 looming on the imminent horizon.
It seems Maddison will have to come up with something special in order to emerge from the shadows of Mount and Grealish.