Long before making his senior Cardiff City debut as a substitute in a 3-1 victory over Coventry in February 2021, Rubin Colwill was a name on the lips of coaches and fans alike in the Welsh capital.
The Neath-born playmaker was a hugely exciting prospect throughout his time in the youth systems with both Cardiff and Wales.
But for a variety of reasons, Colwill has yet to deliver on his high potential, despite signs of immense promise.
At 23 years of age and with well over 100 first team appearances to his name, the attacking midfielder no longer falls into the category of 'up and coming youngster'.
Relegation from the Championship triggered a clearing of the decks at the club, with experienced men including Aaron Ramsey, Joe Ralls, Dimitrios Goutas and Andy Rinomhota among those to depart Cardiff City Stadium.
Cardiff's key decision makers will certainly hope new boss Brian Barry-Murphy - who spent three years coaching Man City's Elite Development Squad - can rely more on the club's production line and develop them into key first team stars and saleable assets.
Colwill certainly falls into that category at present, although one would imagine ex-Rochdale manager Barry-Murphy will feel the nine-cap Wales international should be ready to hit the ground running given his experience, in addition to the fact the club will be operating in the third tier.
"I didn't plan on going into individuals, but Rubin Colwill is a huge talent," said Barry-Murphy at his unveiling as head coach.
"Our job is to put him in a position where he has the strength programme and training programme to maximise his potential.
"He will have to compete with all the other players to show what he can do.
"If he doesn't run as hard as the rest of the players who do then it's a very simple process."
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Colwill wasted no time in emphatically proving he can not just keep up with the pace, but set it.
He won the club's bleep test - a progressive running test used to estimate a person's aerobic capacity - at the beginning of Cardiff's pre-season preparations.
Barry-Murphy himself used the 'P' word when further discussing Colwill's situation at present.
"Rubin is probably symbolic of the club. There is a lot of potential but it’s our job to unlock that and show them what it is to be an elite professional," he added.
"I’m sure once he sees it and understands the way we are going to play, he will be excited by it and fulfil his undoubted potential."
Injuries, a lack of form, the club's own struggles and regular managerial changes have all hampered Colwill since he made his breakthrough little more than four years ago.
Indeed, he is now gearing up to play under a seventh different permanent boss since making his first senior appearance for the Bluebirds under Mick McCarthy.
Despite being included in some squads, Colwill is also yet to feature in any of the 10 matches under former Cardiff youth coach Craig Bellamy with Wales.
His goal record also makes for rather sorry reading too.
He has scored just seven times in 139 Championship appearances for Cardiff, at a rate of almost exactly one in every 20 outings. He also has just eight league assists during this period.
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His cup return makes for better reading having netted seven goals in 15 League Cup and FA Cup fixtures.
But even combined, his overall total of 14 goals in 154 appearances comes at a rate of a goal in every 11 outings.
Those numbers quite simply have to improve.
Given the transition currently being undertaken at the club, the 2025-26 season feels like something of a crunch period for many in Leckwith, particularly Colwill.
Barry-Murphy's style of play should suit the Cardiff talent who, let's not forget, was included in Wales' squads for both Euro 2021 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Having scored his first international goal against Czech Republic in March 2022, Colwill went viral for using the phrase 'meep meep', a nod to Looney Tunes character Road Runner, to illustrate Brennan Johnson's pace in creating the chance.
And it hasn't taken long for Colwill to showcase his ability to graft and outrun his team-mates in pre-season.
If he can maintain those high standards throughout the course of the season, there is no reason why the Cardiff faithful can't finally see the full extent of Colwill's talent on a consistent basis at long last.
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