Chris Smalling was adamant on his decision to take the plunge on a risky loan move to Roma last summer. A lack of playing time had seen him fall down the pecking order at Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but Smalling knew he still had a lot to offer.
His irregular appearances had not only hampered his performances when they infrequently came but they had all but ended his dreams of representing England one last time.
Something had to change. What has followed has been one of the most extraordinary loan moves in recent years as Smalling has transformed himself from United outcast to one of the finest central defenders in the country famously revered for perfecting the art of defending.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk