Cardiff City captain Joe Ralls believes Aston Villa loanee Jaden Philogene has the potential to make it as a Premier League player after flourishing in the second half of his season-long loan in the Welsh capital.
During the club's resurgence under Sabri Lamouchi, Philogene has played a crucial role, even converting to an attacking wing-back position in recent weeks.
The 21-year-old has started five of Lamouchi's seven games in charge and has been a constant attacking outlet for the Bluebirds as they look to up their goal tally.
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He finally got his just rewards against Bristol City, too, scoring the first of two goals as the Bluebirds ran out 2-0 winners in the Severnside derby.
And City skipper Ralls, who has had to fork out some cash in fines money owing to the winger's exploits in training, believes Cardiff fans are really seeing the best of Philogene now.
"He is a really talented player. You saw [with his goal] on Saturday, he's both footed, he can go either way," Ralls said.
"He has got a trick, he is exciting, he gets fans off their seat. He is a really good player who is doing brilliantly for us. He's just got to keep doing what he's doing. Keep his feet on the ground, keep working really hard in training, keep his standards high and he'll have a great career in football. It's great to have him here and doing well for us.
"He's megged me a few times in training. It's a £10 fine, which is pretty annoying!
"But, he has got everything. A really talented boy and let's hope he can keep that going until the end of the season."
Reports in the Midlands recently suggested that the former England youth international may be surplus to requirements at Villa Park this summer, which you can read more about here.
Given the level of his performances, especially recently, one would think he has more than enough potential to cut it in the top flight.
Indeed Ralls, who trains alongside him every day, thinks that if Philogene continues to progress at his current trajectory, he is a Premier League player in waiting.
"I think he has got the ability (to play in the Premier League), I really do," Ralls said.
"To get there you've got to keep doing what you're doing. Keep practising well and keep training hard. He has really grasped that this year, he has come on leaps and bounds.
"I think he's really enjoying. He has settled in a lot more now and you are seeing that in his performances; he is really comfortable out there.
"He is expressing himself. He is really, really talented. Hopefully he can keep going and play as high a level of football as possible."
Cardiff boss Lamouchi concurs with his captain. When asked whether he thought Philogene could be a Premier League player next term, the Frenchman added: "It depends where, but he can. In the future, soon, he can, absolutely, but it depends where."
Lamouchi's favourites have certainly emerged, especially during the run of three wins in the last four games, and Philogene certainly falls into that category.
He has shown trickery with his feet, an eye for a shot, but also, pleasingly, an astuteness in regard to the defensive side of his game.
It's probably fair to say that Philogene endured in inconsistent and frustrating start to the campaign, with fleeting moments of brilliance and other, frequent moments of indecision or naivety.
But he does appear to have grown in confidence and shown a greater level of consistency across the campaign. For Lamouchi, at least, his talent was abundantly clear as soon as the manager walked through the door in January.
"I don't know about him at the start of the season, but I saw immediately the quality of Jaden," Lamouchi said. "I like his personality, but I like that he can help the team to play well and make the difference.
"He is young, but when they are young you need to be close to them, to talk with them and trust them."
Lamouchi has certainly placed his faith in Philogene and the youngster has rewarded his manager with some stellar performances. If Cardiff are to continue their climb out of relegation trouble, the Villa youngster will likely have a big part to play.
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