Mason Mount has been showered with praise across the 2020-21 campaign, with Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola adding his voice to those saluting the efforts of a "complete player".
Questions were asked of whether a product of the Stamford Bridge academy system has what it takes to nail down a regular role in a star-studded squad, but Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel have been convinced of his worth.
The 22-year-old is now an England international and Champions League winner, with a personal bar raised again in 2020-21 as he contributed nine goals and eight assists to the Blues' cause.
What has been said?
Zola, who knows a thing or two about being a talismanic presence in west London, has told talkSPORT of the progress made by Mount: "He’s become a complete player.
"He can attack, he can score, he can assist and defend.
"This is necessary in modern football. Before, if you were able to score goals you could do that, but now if you want to be successful you have to work so hard. We saw that the other day [in the Champions League final]."
Who else has been catching the eye?
Getty ImagesWhile Mount has been a model of consistency, Kai Havertz improved as a debut season with Chelsea wore on.
The 21-year-old is starting to look like a £70 million ($91m) club-record signing, with a match-winning goal against Manchester City in a European showpiece repaying a large chunk of his transfer fee and the faith shown in him by Tuchel as a false nine.
Zola believes the Germany international can thrive in that role, adding: "Kai gave us a surprise the other day.
"Nobody has ever doubted his qualities in terms of technique and intelligence. Maybe we thought he was not finding his right position on the pitch and wasn’t affecting the game as much.
"He proved people wrong because he performed so well for the team. This position suits him and suits Chelsea very much."
Any other business?
Another of the 2020 additions at Chelsea to have impressed during a first season in English football is Thiago Silva, with the Brazilian defender still going strong at 36 years of age.
He was forced off during a memorable win over City after picking up an untimely knock, but is expected to see an initial one-year contract extended through another 12 months.
Zola said of the experienced centre-half: "I think one of the successes of this Chelsea team has been that he has been able to mix talented young players with more good experienced players.
"I do believe this is a very good mix. You have to have both because they both push each other.
"Thiago, I don’t know him personally, but I can see the way he behaves on the pitch and the way he plays, he must be very important for the young ones, in terms of being an example and ways to conduct yourself on the pitch."