It has been a rocky two years at Tottenham for Djed Spence.
A fundamental part of Nottingham Forestâs incredible rise to promotion in 2021-22, the talented 22-year-old looked primed to step into the spotlight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Instead, his light has dimmed dramatically.
Dismissed by new boss Antonio Conte as "a club signing", Spence made just four appearances in the Premier League that season, was sent on loan to Rennes and made seven starts before injury curtailed his campaign.
A fresh start under Ange Postecoglou only brought a loan move to Championship side Leeds where injury restricted him again to just six appearances.
He fared better at Genoa in the second half of last season with the Serie A side keen to sign him permanently, albeit not for the £8.5m option to buy included in his loan deal.
And yet now he has a new contract at Spurs, so what next? This season, he was handed one minute against Leicester in their opening game, then a total of 52 minutes off the bench in blowout victories over Everton and Manchester United.
He has at least got himself a goal, and a critical one too, equalising in the 88th minute at Coventry in the Carabao Cup as Postecoglou's bid for silverware in his second season looked in danger of an early blow.
Maybe that has endeared him to Spurs fans, who, according to the post below, are pleased to have the full-back locked down for four more years.
After all, he still has the pace, athleticism and threat that shone so brightly in the Championship for Forest two years ago and got him into the England Under-21 squad.
His attacking impetus is surely better suited to Postecoglou's style than it was for Conte's conservative tactics and perhaps he has earned his chance for a run in the team.
Or maybe the canny operators in the Tottenham boardroom are merely preserving Spence's value by tying him down to a long-term deal.
His main competition at right-back, Pedro Porro, averages two chances created per game and between four and five crosses, providing a crucial thrust down that flank.
If Spence is to dislodge him, or Destiny Udogie on the other side, more of his Coventry heroics will be needed.
Now is the time to glow brighter.