If you offered a 14-year-old James Rodriguez two Champions League titles, one Europa League and league titles in several countries, he'd have probably been alright with that, and yet the Colombian star might consider his current status and still be disappointed.
Why 14? Well, that's the age Rodriguez was when he broke records to become the youngest ever footballer to play a professional game in Colombia. Even then, those around him felt certain he was set for big things, and they were right - just maybe not in the manner they anticipated.
The former Real Madrid star has not had a similar career to fellow teenage sensation Freddy Adu, who failed to deliver on his promise during a career which has already fizzled out. Rodriguez has thrived, winning the big trophies he was supposed to and playing for the huge clubs he'd have hoped to represent, and yet - as he turns 31 - there could well be a sense of disappointment at where his career is right now.
While some of his compatriots would join big-hitters or move directly from Colombia to Europe at a young age - Radamel Falcao cut his teeth with River Plate, for example, while Juan Cuadrado swapped Independiente Medellin for Udinese in Italy - Rodriguez's next move saw him join Banfield.
It could have been different, though, with Birmingham City reportedly close to a move. The English side, then in the Premier League, had monitored the then-teenager at age-group level for Colombia, but failed to secure a work permit.
"I recommended Rodriguez but he went to the Argentine league instead to play for Banfield which is usually an indication of a highly promising player as Argentine clubs only bring in exceptional players from abroad," agent Barry McIntosh recalled in 2014. "But sadly plans to bring Rodriguez to the Premier League were blown by red tape and I fear we will continue to miss out on similar talents in future."
It was in Argentina that he wrote his name into club folklore, helping the Argentine club win their first domestic title in 2009. The story was big enough to warrant coverage in the New York Times, where it was noted that the traditional "powerhouses" River and Boca finished down in mid-table while Rodriguez and his teammates made it into the Copa Libertadores.
He would leave for Porto in 2010, but the club remained in his heart. Indeed, upon joining Everton more than a decade later - and with Banfield missing out on a "solidarity payment" thanks to the absence of a transfer fee - he reportedly helped out his old employers financially.
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"He is one of the most important Colombian players ever, there is no doubt about that," former international teammate Carlos Valdes told The Athletic in 2020, when that move to Merseyside was completed. That importance stems from the playmaker's success in Europe, but also from his form for his country, for whom is approaching a century of caps.
In 2014, after a thrilling few years at Porto and Monaco where his path crossed with compatriot Falcao, Rodriguez helped Colombia reach their first World Cup in 16 years. He scored three times during the qualifying campaign, including winners against Peru and Ecuador, but went even better in the tournament proper in Brazil.
A group containing Greece, Cote d'Ivoire and Japan looked welcoming, but Rodriguez helped it become straightforward. He scored in each of the group games - all victories - but the best was still to come.
A last-16 tie against Uruguay was made more winnable by the absence of their opponents' talisman Luis Suarez, suspended after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini in the previous game. Colombia still needed to score, though, and Rodriguez did so. Twice. Including the goal of the tournament.
"I never had any doubts that this was going to be his World Cup," Colombia manager Jose Pekerman said at the time. “In my long experience in football, I’ve had extraordinary footballers in my teams, elite players of a very high technical level.
“What is most surprising is that, at his young age, he does not have any problem doing things football players take many years to understand,” the manager added. Indeed, it was easy to forget Rodriguez was just 22 at the time, such was his maturity on the ball and talismanic qualities.
Ultimately, Brazil discovered the best way to stop him was to give him the roughest treatment possible. The Selecao pushed the limits of what the referee would allow in the quarter-final, ultimately neutralising their opponents' star man, save for a late consolation from the penalty spot.
While Colombia would fall short of glory, Rodriguez would claim the golden boots with his six goals. A £75m move to Real Madrid followed, and the only way seemed to be up.
There were certainly highs, but he'll have felt they could have been higher. Two Champions League titles, but without a minute played in either final, and just eight league appearances in his final season after two years on loan at Bayern Munich.
Everton was supposed to be a fresh start; a reunion with Carlo Ancelotti, who had got more than most out of him in Madrid and Munich, and one which wasn't wholly unsuccessful.
"I'm reasonably happy with how I am playing," the Colombian told evertonfc.com in 2021. "I think there's more to come and I can hit some better form but when I've performed well, it's had a positive effect on the team.
"I'm with a manager who knows exactly what I'm like. I get on fantastically well with him, just like a father and son."
It was a false start, though, despite some high points in a bizarre Premier League season largely played behind closed doors. Ancelotti left at the end of the campaign, rejoining Real Madrid, but Rodriguez joined Qatari side Al-Rayyan instead of following his father figure back to Spain.
"With every team he played for, he won the love of the fans through his strong levels," Al-Rayyan president Sheikh Ali Bin Saud said upon announcing the move. "And no one can forget what he did with his country in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and being the top scorer of the tournament, in addition to being crowned with the Puskas Award as the best goal of the season."
Rodriguez was one of a number of foreign stars brought in by the Qatari club of late, with World Cup winning midfielder Steven Nzonzi and former Porto star Yacine Brahimi also among them. However, after just one season, there are suggestions he could be on the move again.
There is reported interest from Spain, where Valencia and Villarreal are among the clubs said to be exploring the possibility of a move, but there's also the intriguing prospect of a switch to Roma. Marca reports that Giallorossi manager Jose Mourinho remains keen on a player he was linked with while in charge at Manchester United.
As for Rodriguez himself, he is reportedly ready for a return to Europe as he prepares for his next step after failing to lead Colombia to a third straight World Cup. After spells in France, Spain, Germany and England, could it be time for him to enter the fifth of the big five leagues?
