Ayoub Assal missed out on making his debut for England's Under-20 side this year because his passport was stuck in the system's backlog.
AFC Wimbledon's nimble forward could have become the born-again Dons' first outfield player to gain international recognition for Ian Foster's Young Lions against Poland and Germany, and he trained with the squad at St George's Park. But he was left behind after joining the hostages to a useless Government and its gift for turning everyday life into paralysis.
At least Assal's talent has not gone unnoticed, and his form for the improving Dons has earned him alternative recognition as the EFL's Young Player of the Month for November. That's not bad for a kid who spent spells on loan at non-League Metropolitan Police and Billericay, although National League clubs were allegedly reluctant to borrow him because he was only 5ft 8in.