Jadon Sancho showcased glimpses of the player that convinced Manchester United to splash out £73million just 12 months ago in Monday night's win over Liverpool - just as Wes Brown predicted he would under Erik ten Hag.
It's been a difficult year for Sancho, who has struggled to kick on after sealing his dream switch to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund in last summer's transfer window.
He failed to make much of an impact in his maiden Premier League campaign, where he registered just six goal contributions, and has been part of a Manchester United team that has slumped to new lows over the past few months.
Ahead of the new season, Sancho was snapped getting a severe dressing down from Ten Hag, who was appointed as the club's new manager back in April. And former Red Devils defender Brown predicted at the time that the Dutchman's arrival could prove to be the catalyst for Sancho to kickstart his Old Trafford career.
Speaking back in July, Brown said: "I can see Jadon Sancho pushing on under Ten Hag. It's football, you know what you have to do, it's just whether you have the confidence to do it.
"During the second half of the season, when Sancho was taking on players, sometimes two, three, four defenders, he had very close control and was getting in their face. I noticed once he started doing that, I could see the panic in the opposition.
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"He's the sort of person that can bring defenders out to him to create space somewhere else. The top teams have that type of player, so I think he could be key for next season."
Sancho has looked a shadow of the player who terrorised the Bundesliga at Dortmund, but he burst into life midway through the first half against Liverpool to give his side the lead with a classy strike that left a host of defenders inside the penalty area completely bamboozled.
The 22-year-old revelled in the moment, but he and United still have plenty of work to do if they are to make amends for their lacklustre start to the season. Sancho has since outlined that the squad are embracing Ten Hag's new approach - even if that hadn't been evident in results and performances prior to Monday night's blockbuster win.
“In pre-season, we knew it was going to be intense," Sancho explained after the match. "As players, we’re happy to play this style. We’re very young, we’re energetic so we can produce this type of performance. It’s about keeping this momentum [now].”
