As they turned to acknowledge each other moments before kick-off inside a cavernous-sounding Ashton Gate, Han-Noah Massengo and Stefan Bajic may have allowed themselves a slight grin and momentary reflection on the unpredictable path of a football career.
Having developed through the France age groups and been highly-valued prospects at Monaco and Saint-Etienne, respectively, here were the two men lining up together again - the first time since an Under-19 fixture for Les Bleus against Denmark in November 2019 - but for Bristol City Under-21s against QPR.
Being a professional athlete is not a normal profession and therefore the route in which you travel can never be properly forecast. With the greatest of respect, it’s unlikely that either knew who City were until they were contacted by their agents over the prospect of a move.
