Jack Wilshere was tipped to be the defining player of Arsenal's early years at the Emirates Stadium, the club's most highly-rated homegrown prospect who would lead the side that turned fans' hopes into reality..
The Gunners had ambitions to reclaim the Premier League title and fight for the Champions League crown soon after the move and Wilshere was central to their plans in becoming a key part of the European elite.
Duly, five years on from their finest hour in the competition since reaching the final back in 2006 came five years later on February 16, 2011.
A cold Wednesday night in north London saw Pep Guardiola's all-star Barcelona team roll into town armed with the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and David Villa.
Among Arsenal's ranks were Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie to name but a few, so it came as quite a surprise when a teenage Wilshere was the talk of the town come full-time.
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At least, it was a surprise to the neutral - those who had long seen the 19-year-old up close were familiar with the talent level he possessed.
Wilshere had his breakout performance and saved it for the biggest stage of all, with the eyes of the footballing world fixated on north London.
Under the white hot glare of the Emirates spotlight, Wilshere displayed no fear when faced with the task of taking on arguably the three best midfielders in the world.
Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets were all deployed by Guardiola to simply do their usual - dominate possession, stifle any opposition threat and glide past players like they aren't even there.
They did not get their way on the night, with Wilshere, looking every inch like the La Masia product himself displaying the kind of composure and technique on the ball you'd expect from a player ten years his senior.
Villa's first half strike for Barcelona barely put a dent in what was an electric atmosphere created by the home faithful, who had even more to shout about when Van Persie equalised in the 78th minute.
Andrey Arshavin sent the Emirates stir crazy when he snatched a late winner to ensure the Gunners ran out 2-1 victors on the night.
Though the Russian was Arsenal's match-winner, Wilshere was the name on everyone's lips before the second-leg.
Guardiola issued a particularly backhanded compliment, claiming: "He has been a big surprise. I did not know him at the beginning of the season, but he is an excellent player for Arsenal but also for the national team.
"We have many players like him in our second team. It is very good news for football to have players like him."
Arsenal would fail to capitalise on their slender lead from the first leg and were eliminated after losing 4-3 on aggregate, but Wilshere's performance lived long in the memory of all who witnessed it.
Xavi told the Mirror in 2015: "If he had a career that had been injury-free we would already be talking about him as one of the top central midfield players in Europe.
"I have played against him, I have watched him carefully, and if he can overcome injuries, then he can still go on an be one of the best midfield players in the world.
"With all respect, he doesn’t play the English way."
Two year's prior to Xavi's assessment, Dani Alves insisted he would sign Wilshere for Barcelona if he could.
"He is a great player who we have met playing against Arsenal and without doubt he can reach the height of the players we have here at Barcelona like Xavi and Iniesta," the Brazilian claimed.
"He has a lot of quality and a great personality. If I was given the chance to choose, he is a player that I would sign for Barcelona."
Reading the high praise from some of football's biggest names amid a spell of what felt like 'Wilshere-mania', it's a far cry from his current situation.
Now 30 years old, the midfielder is without a club after injuries absolutely decimated a career that promised so much.
Wilshere left Arsenal seven years after this performance, the same summer that iconic manager and mentor Arsene Wenger called time on his reign.
He swiftly joined West Ham, where the same injuries that curtailed his Gunners career wrecked his chances of a revival in east London.
A underwhelming stint at Bournemouth followed, before his release from the Vitality in the summer of last year marked his lowest decline.
Wilshere, a player who had once bossed a Champions League tie against arguably the greatest club side of all time as a teenager, was now without a club of his own.
It has remained that way so far, though Wilshere has returned to his footballing home in Arsenal just to train with the team to keep his fitness up under the watch of Gunners boss and former teammate Mikel Arteta.
Pressed by the Daily Mail as to whether he could still hack it in the Premier League, Wilshere responded: "Yes. I’m confident I could deal with the physical side and have an influence.
"I can still beat a man, and these are top players. That’s a sign, for me, that I can still do it and want to keep doing it."
Yet, the January transfer window came and went with no offers in England for a former Three Lions international.
That's not to say all avenues are closed for Wilshere, football.london Serie B side Como are on the cusp of signing the former Gunners star.
While it is a route Wilshere can't afford to turn down, the sight of a teenage Wilshere lighting up the Emirates against Barcelona feels like a different lifetime.
