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Antonio Conte's second season at Chelsea was blighted by political in-fighting which had the unintended side effect of stunting Kyle Scott's career.
Back in the summer of 2017, the Blues had just won the Premier League but their Italian manager was at loggerheads with director Marina Granovskaia over transfers.
Because of the club's struggles to sign central midfielders, Conted blocked Scott from joining Reading on loan.
So, even though Scott would go on to make his Chelsea debut during the 2011-12 campaign, he still regrets not being able to spend a season in the Championship that he feels would have helped him develop as a player.
"It was really good to be around the Chelsea team at the time with Conte in charge," Scott tells GOAL in an exclusive interview.
"Being promoted to the senior squad happened quite fast, so it took me a while to figure out my role and where I was!
"But training day in and day out with the world-class players Chelsea had was unreal.
"Also, seeing how Conte works, you also realise how good he is. He's up there in the top two or three managers in the world.
"However, during pre-season, I had a loan move to Jaap Stam's Reading sorted and I really wanted to go, as I was 19 at the time, so that was my chance to go out and play professional games in the Championship.
"It seemed like a perfect situation but Chelsea delayed and delayed the transfer every single day, and told me the coach isn’t ready to let you go.
"But other players who were part of the first-team squad were allowed to go on loan, so it was a little confusing and frustrating, given Reading were there and the deal was effectively done.
Getty Images"Chelsea had got everything they wanted from Reading. I was then supposed to sign a new four-year contract, which I wanted to do because Chelsea was my club.
"I also thought that it maybe meant that [Conte] wanted to keep me and trusted me.
"Then, on the last day of the window, I was told the Reading deal was back on. I sat in a hotel all day waiting for it to happen, only to be told it was off at 10pm."
For Scott, it feels like he has yet to really recover from this deadline-day disappointment.
"Of course, being at Chelsea as a boy was great," he acknowledges. "You have the best training centre and the best coaches.
"I barely lost a game. We would always win by three or four goals, and I won FA Youth Cups and UEFA Youth Leagues.
"You're just doing what you love as a boy and, at that age, nothing else really matters. It could be a Tuesday or Thursday night at Cobham or on a school lunch break – at that age, you just want to play.
"But I knew now my chances of first-team were slim and I missed a big loan at a crucial time in my career.
"I turned down contracts three times at Chelsea because of that loan situation. It wasn't about money. I knew I had missed my chance, so I was very angry at the time."
After a loan move to Dutch second-tier side Telstar, Scott eventually left Chelsea in 2019 to join Newcastle United on a free transfer.
Although Scott would enjoy his time at St James' Park, he was hit by injury and prevented from entering the first-team bubble due to Covid-19 restrictions which limited him to appearances for the club's Under-23s.
Last year, he belatedly linked up with Stam, who was entering his second year at FC Cincinnati.
However, Scott would make just four appearances before parting company with the MLS club in February.
"I was signed by Jaap and needed time to get up to speed in terms of fitness," explains Scott, who is now a free agent.
"But, by the time I reached the same level as the rest of the squad, who were midway through the season, Jaap was fired.
"After that, I barely got a chance. It was tough because I left my family and partner behind halfway across the world for that chance. I knew I needed games as I lack senior games for a player of my age.
"I liked a lot about the club, it was very professional, but I asked them to terminate my contract as I couldn't afford another season playing so few games.
"So, I've been speaking to several clubs and I want to make sure everything is right before taking the next step. I am not a kid anymore at 24.
"I have been training almost every single day and have nothing to show for it yet. So, mentally it’s tough because it's been like this for three or four years.
"It is hard for people on the outside to understand situations like this. So much of football is about being in the right place at the right time.
"I will probably have a decision to make soon and hopefully, it will be the right one. I still feel like I am in a good way and look forward to the next challenge."