This summer's pre-season programme at Manchester City has provided a golden opportunity for the club's young players to catch Pep Guardiola's eye.
With a number of City's senior stars having enjoyed delayed holidays following deep runs at international tournaments, those who returned to training in July have been joined by a host of academy prospects from one of Europe's best talent factories.
And while some can find the step up to first-team football intimidating, others tend to flourish alongside experienced team-mates.
For winger Sam Edozie, the path has been the latter, with the youngster having taken full advantage of the opportunity presented to him over the past month.
The 18-year-old has been one of the stars of City's pre-season, scoring in all three of their friendly matches ahead of Saturday's Community Shield clash against Leicester City at Wembley Stadium.
Edozie began the summer by smashing in the second goal of 2-0 victory over Preston North End after being introduced off the bench at half-time. He then followed that up by starting the next two, against Barnsley and Blackpool, and scoring the openers in both wins with the sort of intelligent finishes that suggest he has the potential to fit into a Guardiola side.
Both goals came from the sort of winger's runs - outside to in - that have become a signature move of Raheem Sterling, helping transform the England international into one of City's most potent and important goalscorers.
For his part, Edozie has benefitted from working with former City Under-18s boss Carlos Vicens, who is now a member of Guardiola's backroom staff and a coach who was able to mirror the sort of playing style synonymous with the Catalan's teams.
“Like all of them, as a young talent having a special quality - a guy who gets to the box with the intention to score the goal - is important for wingers,” Guardiola said after Edozie's performance against Blackpool in the final friendly of the summer.
“He's an incredible young player, good pace. Be patient with him. With minutes they play good and this is important.”
Edozie has been making good progress through City's academy ever since he joined from Millwall as a 16-year-old in 2019.
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He was one of the younger members of the squad that won the 2020 FA Youth Cup, and last season split his time between the U23s and U18s, with both sides winning their respective league titles.
His rise has not gone unnoticed by England either, with now-former U18s manager Kevin Betsy having handed him his debut in the 2-0 victory over Wales in March, though he remains eligible to also represent Nigeria.
Edozie admitted it was not an easy decision for him to move away from his home in Lewisham, south London, at such a young age, but his career is certainly going in the right direction.
“It’s one of those seasons you will never forget," he said of the 2020-21 campaign. "I will cherish and look back on our achievements.
I came to City trying to win trophies so to win three in one season is amazing.
“Moving up from London to Manchester wasn’t easy, but I’m loving my football and I’m very happy I made the move."
Edozie did have the opportunity to remain in London, with Chelsea having been desperate to sign the talented winger when it became clear he would not be staying with Millwall.
Despite taking a tour of the Blues' Cobham training ground and meeting first-team players, he instead opted to join City in a deal worth an initial £600,000, though the final fee could rise to over £1 million depending on his progress.
Edozie also had interest from Germany, with several Bundesliga clubs monitoring his development at Millwall, but so far his decision is working out well, with the winger now in contention for a senior debut against Leicester this weekend.
Former City striker Paul Dickov was certainly impressed after Edozie's eye-catching performances in pre-season, comparing him to another winger already at the club.
“There’s a bit of Riyad Mahrez in him when he gets the ball. He mixes it up and isn’t predictable," he told City's official website. “One minute he goes inside then goes outside. He’s always asking questions of the full-back.”
Amid comparisons with Sterling and Mahrez, others have drawn similarities to Germany international Leroy Sane, who left City last summer.
Edozie's electric pace and ability to drag full-backs out to the touchline as well as having the option to cut inside are certainly reminiscent of the Bayern Munich winger.
While Sane has now departed, City still have plenty of options on the wings, with Mahrez, Sterling and Spain international Ferran Torres natural widemen while players such as Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and new arrival Jack Grealish are all comfortable out wide.
Edozie, then, will have to be patient when it comes to waiting for a sustained run in the senior ranks, rather than become restless as Jadon Sancho and Jayden Braaf have done before him.
He will continue his development at City in the U23s this season, under the careful nurturing of new coach Brian Barry-Murphy, who has arrived at the club after leaving his role as Rochdale manager.
But there is no doubting that he is a player that Guardiola will be keeping a scouting brief on after his displays in pre-season.
The summer is all about taking opportunities when you get them for football's next generation. Edozie knows he has taken his and run with it.