Manchester United needed a hero to ride to their rescue amid their shocking start to the season and the last person they would have expected to step up would have been Harry Maguire.
The centre-back, who was stripped of the captaincy over the summer and who the club tried to sell to West Ham, has recovered his form of old and steered United to three wins on the trot, playing a crucial role in each.
It has been a welcome resurrection for a player who was written off by his manager and has had to shoulder an avalanche of abuse both on social media and in the stands. But the real test of Maguire's rebirth is coming up on Sunday with the derby against Manchester City.
A positive result and performance against United's rivals would do the world of good for his confidence and cement his place in the team for the rest of the season. But if he is culpable for conceding a goal or two in a heavy defeat then Maguire will be back to square one...