Greece international Konstantinos Karetsas caught the eye on his Borussia Dortmund debut against Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup, even as his side slipped to a 2-1 defeat.
Handed a start at the Signal Iduna Park, the teenager produced a string of distinctive technical touches. His dribbling, playmaking and passing drew admiration from the Dortmund faithful, who rose to his movements more than once.
Dortmund landed Karetsas this summer from Belgium's Genk for 30 million euros. He had broken through with the first team at a strikingly early age and left a clear mark last season.
According to "Bild", Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany came away hugely impressed by the 18-year-old after the two sides met in the Super Cup.
Dortmund correspondent Michel Schroder revealed that he bumped into Kompany in the stadium corridors after the match and spoke to him about the club. The Belgian did not hide his admiration for the new arrival.
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Kompany told Schroder that the Greek playmaker, who grew up in Belgium and previously played for Genk, is "very good", and urged the reporter to keep a close eye on him.
The way Kompany spoke about Karetsas suggested he had known the player for a long time, according to the "Bild" correspondent, who added that the Bayern coach "likes him a lot".
Karetsas had shone with Genk last season. He supplied 11 assists in the Belgian league, scored twice and laid on five more assists across his 11 Europa League appearances.
Kompany was not alone in his admiration. Schroder reckons Karetsas has the qualities to become one of Dortmund's biggest stars in the years ahead, and may even become a fan favourite in short order.
That praise landed just days after his first outing against Bayern, a mark of the impression the youngster made against the German champions. He could not spare Dortmund the defeat or deliver the Super Cup, but the message was clear.