Cast your mind back to November 2017. Lewis Hamilton had just won his fourth Formula One World Championship, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement.
Oh, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek was called up to the England senior squad for the first time. The Chelsea midfielder, who was on loan at Crystal Palace at the time, made his debut against Germany and played the full 90 minutes in a goalless draw. He won man of the match after a superb display.
After impressing on the international scene, as well as for Palace in the Premier League, Gareth Southgate's decision to include Loftus-Cheek in his 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup did not come as too much of a surprise.
