Anwar El Ghazi exploded onto the scene as a 19-year-old. 

Initially pencilled in to spend the season with Ajax's second string, a flurry of form in pre-season earned him a debut in the 2014 Johan Cruyff shield, and subsequently a slot in Frank de Boer's first team squad. 

By the end of his second term in Amsterdam, El Ghazi had already established himself as one of Ajax's most important players; he'd scored 21 first team goals, including a Champions League strike against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, and picked up his first caps for the Netherlands' senior team. 

While it's certainly not unusual for young players to shine at Ajax, El Ghazi's rise was particularly noteworthy. He was even linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and AC Milan, and naturally fitted the profile of explosive winger-forwards that Cristiano Ronaldo had made a staple across European football. 

Indeed, El Ghazi appeared destined for great things, but his exploits since have been comparatively underwhelming.

A largely ineffectual 18 months at Lille was followed by a loan spell at Aston Villa and although the two-cap attacker did enough to earn a permanent deal, a return of five goals and six assists in the Championship felt like pocket change for a player who previously had some of Europe's biggest clubs knocking at his door. 

Now 25, El Ghazi's inevitably been shoehorned into the highly-populated bracket of players hyped up as youngsters that have struggled to live up to their billing after outgrowing their formative footballing years.

While he's been an important contributor during Dean Smith's spell in charge at Villa Park, 31 goal involvements in 88 Villa games remains a somewhat modest return. 

But there are signs of El Ghazi's fortunes changing, and maybe in his mid-twenties the Ajax product is finally starting to deliver on the enormous potential he showed as a youngster breaking through. 

Anwar El Ghazi - Aston Villa

December saw the Villa forward net an incredible five times in five top flight games, the joint-most of any Premier League player last month alongside Mohamed Salah and Marcus Rashford, who has just been announced as Europe's most valuable player, although both were privy to one extra appearance. 

That glut of goals - which included an absolute beauty against Crystal Palace - couldn't have come at a better time for Villa, either. Having enjoyed an affluent start to the new season which has them just three points off the top four, El Ghazi's goals directly contributed to 10 of Villa's 11 points last month, including a draw against Chelsea and wins over Midlands rivals Wolves and West Brom. 

Whether El Ghazi's run of goals proves sustainable inevitably remains to be seen, but he's certainly showed his full potential in the last of 2020's twelve chapters, and that has earned him a nomination for the GIVEMESPORT Fans' Player of the Month award for December

You can show your support for El Ghazi by following this link to cast your vote.