He was always going to be good, but very few would have wagered that Jude Bellingham would, five months into his Real Madrid career, be the presumptive frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or. Yet here he is, the 20-year-old from Solihull dominating Spain's top-flight, and having an immense impact as his Madrid side attempt to piece together yet another successful Champions League campaign.
But after such an awe-inspiring start to life at Santiago Bernabeu, Bellingham has had chance to take a breath. Unlike the Premier League, La Liga grants its players a two-week break around Christmas. Madrid played their last game on December 21, and won't take the field again until Wednesday, when they host Mallorca.
Bellingham seems to have made the most of his holiday, too, utilising every minute of his time off as he returned to England to support his brother, enjoy a brief respite at Christmas, and ultimately prepare for what will be another taxing six months.