England's run to the semi-finals of the Under-21 European Championship has been led by many familiar Premier League faces, with Emile Smith-Rowe, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Gibbs-White and Jacob Ramsey grabbing the headlines.
But there has been an equally pivotal contribution from a player who caused a real stir in youth football, yet three years ago decided to leave the country to earn the opportunities that he was lacking but knew he deserved.
Angel Gomes was a thrilling attacking midfielder as a teenager for Manchester United's age-group sides, and made his first-team debut under Jose Mourinho aged 16. But scant opportunities under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led to him look abroad to prove himself, and he has done that after a stellar second campaign with Lille, reinventing himself as a deep-lying playmaker in the mould of Andrea Pirlo and Xavi Hernandez.
And he is thriving in the same role now for England. He has knitted Lee Carlsey's side's play together and dictated their moves from deep, displaying remarkable calmness on the ball even when under immense pressure and an ability to switch the play with long, pinpoint passes.
Watching Gomes glide past opponents with ease while effortlessly bringing the ball out from defence and into midfield, it is difficult not to think that United failed to recognise his talents and did not nurture him as they should have. Here is a player who could have fit right into Erik ten Hag's side, taking on a similar role to Christian Eriksen but without the fitness concerns surrounding the 31-year-old, who struggles to finish matches and who faded badly in the final stretch of last season.
United spent most of last summer trying in vain to convince Frenkie de Jong to come to Old Trafford, but in Gomes they had a gem of their own who they should have been able to nurture into a top talent themselves.
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