Former Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle believes there is more to come from Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez - and likened the Liverpool man to Shane Long.
Uruguay laboured to a goalless draw against South Korea in their Group H opener and Nunez featured prominently despite not getting on the scoresheet.
Liverpool forked out a club record €74.5m to Benfica for the Uruguayan in the summer and he endured a slightly bumpy ride to begin life at Anfield as he attempted to establish himself.
A red card in his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace for a headbutt did not help him in hitting the ground running and he incurred a three match ban for his moment of madness.
But the 23-year-old has shown signs of promise since and now has five Premier League goals to his name, with a brace coming against Southampton at Anfield before the World Cup break.
And after watching his endeavours against South Korea, Doyle predicted there would be lots more to come from him.
He said: "He is a work in progress, you can see there's so much more to come from him.
"He puts in a serious amount of work. I admire his work rate, he's played out of position and he's not sulking.
"He's learning and he's not quite there yet.
"Liverpool spent a lot of money on him, he's a work in progress and I think he'll get better and better."
And when asked if Nunez reminded him of any player he had played alongside, Doyle pointed to the similarities between the Uruguayan and Shane Long.
Long represented his native Tipperary in two Minor Hurling All-Ireland semi-finals and was also a talented Gaelic football player in his younger day before signing for League of Ireland football side Cork City in 2004.
Long's rise was speedy as he, as well as Doyle, then signed for Reading in 2005.
He departed the Royals for West Brom in 2011 before a three year spell at Hull followed.
Long is probably best remembered for his eight years playing Premier League football with Southampton, and Doyle believes he may have progressed even further in the game with more coaching at an early stage in his career.
He said: "Shane Long was very raw when he was younger, I remember him coming to Reading and he had raw, raw pace and he needed help and needed coaching.
"He'd played Gaelic growing up, very little football, but he got coaching and I'd say if he had got more football coaching when he was younger he'd have had the ability to be a really, really top player.
"He was a top player anyway but to get to the very, very top."
Acknowledging the pace of the Uruguayan, Doyle said Long's speed allowed him the chance to flourish at the top level.
"He was one sort of like Nunez, raw, maybe a couple of chances needed," he continued.
"But when you have that pace, you have half a chance.
"If you have that pace and can get coaching and you're willing to learn and willing to listen - Nunez looks like that, willing to learn and listen.
"When I was younger with Shane Long he was that type of player; willing to learn, willing to listen and willing to be patient.
"I think Nunez comes across as a good guy who just wants to improve."
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