Watching Tommy Doyle play for Cardiff City this season has been like observing a footballer on a different level to those around him.
His Manchester City schooling is clear for all to see; his speed of movement and thinking is one step ahead of play, his set-piece delivery is outstanding and he raises the game of those who he is playing with.
It is hard to believe he made only eight appearances for German division two side Hamburg earlier this season but sometimes loan moves just don't work out.
Hamburg's loss has certainly been Cardiff's gain and he has fitted seamlessly into the framework manager Steve Morison is trying to install at Cardiff City Stadium. It was no surprise, then, to learn that the boss would love to extend Doyle's stay in south Wales, should the opportunity arise.
"I think he has been excellent. He has shown why he is so highly regarded," Morison said of Doyle to WalesOnline last week.
"He was excellent (against Derby County). He didn't feel great before the game and he put on a performance like that.
"It'll be really interesting to see what he does next year.
"If we could get him back, would I say no? No. Could you see him going to a top-end Championship team, one of the teams who have just come down, possibly? We will just have to wait and see.
"Man City have got so many players and so many options. The communication is open and ongoing.
"We will ask the question and he might turn around and say, 'I would love to go back there for a year'. We will go, 'No problem! Let's see if we can sort that out!'"
So what are the chances?
We asked Simon Bajkowski, Manchester City writer for our sister title the MEN, for his views on Doyle and where his short-term future is set to lie...
1. What have you made of Doyle's start to life at Cardiff?
It has been a very encouraging start for him. You can never be sure how a player will cope with senior football but Doyle was always one of the youngsters in the academy who was expected to do well.
Not only that, there is evidence of the development that he has had training with such a star-studded first team at City, with his technical and tactical intelligence coming on even more after so long with Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne. After a frustrating first half of the season, it is nice to see the player showing what he can do in professional football and in such a demanding league.
2. Have City been keeping close tabs on him? Are they happy with the Cardiff link-up?
City have been watching closely and have liked what they've seen.
They put a lot of stock in the environment their players will go into when they send them on loan. That means the make-up of the squad and the style of football employed by the manager, and obviously those boxes have been ticked.
But it also includes the size of the club and the matchday conditions. Just as Hamburg were a big club, City will be pleased Doyle is being tested in front of nearly 20,000 people every week.
3. Steve Morison has already said he'd love to have him back next season - what are the chances of that happening do you think?
It's definitely a possibility but I imagine it will depend on how the ambitions of Cardiff can match those of City and Doyle. I'd place Doyle in the same bracket as Jack Harrison, who went on loan to Leeds United for a year in the Championship.
He went back there the next season because the first year had been so good, but also because Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa remained a promising option as a club that were pushing for promotion.
Huddersfield Town were one of the clubs really interested in Doyle at the start of this season and they have obviously had a better, more stable season than Cardiff so there will likely be teams out there in the summer window who will also be keen on signing him.
4. What should his next step be next season?
I think another season-long loan makes sense. Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Bernardo Silva aren't going anywhere at City so the options for breaking into the City first team will remain limited. Doyle should be targeting a team near the top of the Championship or aiming for Premier League survival.
However, if he is enjoying it at Cardiff his experiences this year will probably make him think long and hard about his next move given the first half of this campaign was so disappointing. When you think you've found a club that suits you, it is always a risk to move on - but of course Doyle will have to be convinced Cardiff can match his ambitions.
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