Naby Keita prompted a few raised eyebrows earlier this month when asked to assess his Liverpool career.
"I don't believe we've seen the real Naby Keita just yet,” said the midfielder. “I've had quite a few injuries so I'm trying to come back gradually to full form and fitness."
Given almost four years have passed since Liverpool forked out a whopping £52.75million to RB Leipzig for his services - still the third-highest transfer outlay in the club's history - such a declaration was, in some ways, alarming. How can a player still not have realised himself after such a long period?
READ MORE: Alisson Becker fumes as Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp makes Jack Grealish gesture
YOUR SHOUT: Rate the Liverpool players after their 3-2 win vs Man City in the FA Cup Semi-Final
The Reds career of Keita, though, has always been a curious one, a mixture of hugely encouraging moments and disappointing showings sprinkled with all-too-regular spells on the sidelines through injury. Frustrating, to be concise.
The Guinean, though, could argue he is now starting to finally reveal his full potential at Liverpool. Keita's claim was made shortly before the Reds jetted out to Lisbon to take on Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, a game where Jurgen Klopp turned to the 27-year-old to provide a creative edge alongside Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho in midfield.
Keita and Thiago had previously only ever spent 95 competitive minutes on the same pitch together for Liverpool. But in the Estadio da Luz, they combined well with Keita enjoying one of his best displays for the club, poking holes in the Benfica backline with his forward passing which ultimately led to Luis Diaz's late clincher.
At Manchester City a few days later with Jordan Henderson preferred to Keita, the Reds were overrun in midfield. One step forward, one step back for Klopp. So after negotiating the second leg against Benfica - Keita started and wasn't alone in playing well within himself - the Liverpool boss surprised on Saturday by turning again to the Thiago-Keita axis in the engine room at Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final rematch with City.
It worked handsomely. With Fabinho functioning at the base and Thiago sweeping passes across the Wembley pitch, Keita was given the stage to show what he was all about, pressing fiercely and moving the ball on quickly. Tackles were made - the improvement in his defensive nous has been marked of late - and there was even a booking. While not flashy, it was very effective.
Bernardo Silva, such a danger at the Etihad, was kept quiet by Keita, at one point offering the Liverpool man his boot in sheer frustration. It was notable Silva, who scored City's second, only became prominent after the Guinean was removed with 17 minutes remaining.
Klopp has always appeared keen to turn to Keita when he can, with the midfielder now only four appearances off his best tally of the 33 accrued in his debut season. Indeed, his performance level has been far more consistently impressive this term than any other while at Anfield.
An interesting aside is the midfield that started against City contained none of the five who featured in the Champions League final against Real Madrid less than four years ago. Gini Wijnaldum, Emre Can and Adam Lallana have left the club, while skipper Henderson was restricted to a late cameo and James Milner an unused substitute.
While one of the first stages of that evolution, Keita is only this season looking as though he consistently truly belongs. And having shone at Old Trafford back in October, Tuesday's Premier League visit of Manchester United seems the perfect time to reaffirm such a fact.
