Manchester City have seen more from Kalvin Phillips in an England shirt this season than they have their sky blue jersey, but the stage is set for him to belatedly show his true colours at the Etihad Stadium after making a timely impression during the international break.
Gareth Southgate sprang a minor surprise when including Phillips in his starting XI against Italy. His fondness for the player is clear, but City manager Pep Guardiola has only jotted the former Leeds United man down on his team sheet twice in the last eight months.
In that same timeframe - even without regular World Cup action - Phillips has started three times for England and his role against the Italians was telling. Despite rustiness and selection concerns in his day job, Phillips was trusted in what was, beyond question, the single most important Euro 2024 qualifier.
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He vindicated that with a decent performance and win. There was also something else to consider.
Although there are plenty of important items on the agenda for City right now, Guardiola has one eye on the transfer market and he might have had another on his TV when Phillips got down to business. In essence, that stay-at-home scouting mission could also be priceless when mapping out his plans.
Having bided their time to replace Sergio Aguero when he left for Barcelona before prematurely retiring, City won the goalscoring lottery last summer when signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and they could be poised to explore that pathway once again when the market reopens.
But will they follow suit by tempting Jude Bellingham to the Etihad Stadium? In an ideal world that would be a resounding yes, but Spanish giants Real Madrid and those other pesky big hitters might just have something to say about that as Europe's elite form a (dis)orderly queue for his generational signature.
However, there are several moving parts at play here. Bellingham might, conversely, stay put at Dortmund for one last season, while City themselves are facing uncertainties over their current midfielders amid speculation over Ilkay Gundogan - into the final months of his contract - and Bernardo Silva.
On the unlikely proviso they both move on, and Bellingham delays his next adventure, City will then be made to tackle an engine room conundrum. Now that is where "forgotten" man Phillips enters the picture.
"He came into the Premier League 12 months ago," said former Manchester United captain Gary Neville when assessing Phillips from the studio last season. "But he's now the best English midfielder there is by far. When you think of players, we always try stereotype. Is he a holding player? Is he an attacking player?
"He's actually a throwback to someone who can do everything. He runs, he tackles, he passes, he can defend, honestly, he's fantastic. He's likeable, he also has integrity when he speaks, you like watching him and he runs all day, the stats we see that he produces - the most pressures - is a dream. The work you have to do at Leeds is unreal, but he really sets the tone. He's a fantastic, fantastic player."
Bellingham himself might have something to say about the initial claim from Neville, but it was interesting to see how they were deployed in tandem at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona last Thursday night. It showcased one possible contingency for Guardiola moving forward.
As things stand, Phillips has been unable to displace Rodri as the holding midfielder at City and he hasn't (yet) deputised for him either. However, as outlined by Neville with microphone in hand, there are several strings to the Phillips bow and Southgate appeared to agree with his line-up selection against Italy.
Indeed, with Declan Rice featuring as the sole defensive shield - similarly to how Rodri operates - Phillips was handed a little more freedom than in past international appearances. So had that been against less dangerous opposition, he might have even picked up advanced positions more regularly.
Albeit presenting a worst-case scenario, Guardiola might have to get creative in central areas if things do not go to plan this summer window. Phillips will be ready and waiting for that - or any - opportunity.
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