Last April, Riyad Mahrez was so discontent at Manchester City that he could no longer hold his tongue.
Pep Guardiola was not playing him and Mahrez set about letting his team-mates know that he was not happy about his situation.
He never envisioned that ousting Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva or Leroy Sane would be an easy task, but he expected a fair crack at it at the very least.
Riyad Mahrez could barely get a kick and looked out of picture at Man City eight months ago
But the winger has had a terrific season so far and has been the driving force in recent weeks
After all, why would City spend £60million to yank him away from Leicester just for him to sit on the bench?
Playing second fiddle was not what he signed up for. He was not here just to pick up his medal at the end of the season, he was here to contribute.
Mahrez was in and out of the side throughout last season but was particularly agitated after failing to make it off the bench for five of City’s six games over April and May.
Guardiola unexpectedly turned to Mahrez for their trip to Brighton on the last day of the season with victory needed to secure the Premier League title.
Mahrez’s goal at Brighton on the last game of the season was a turning point in his City career
He had been complaining about being overlooked, but here he was, thrown into the furnace on the most important day of the season.
Mahrez grasped the opportunity with both hands, putting in a quite brilliant display which was capped off with a marvellous goal as City overcame a scare to win 4-1 and stamp their name on the Premier League trophy.
Guardiola’s decision to play him was like a gesture of trust and it pumped new life into Mahrez’s career at City.
It was decided almost then and there that he would not leave the club in search of regular minutes despite rumours – influenced by the revelation he had been griping to team-mates – linking him with a summer move away.
He helped Algeria win the African Cup of Nations a few months after that goal at Brighton
Buoyed by helping City get over the line in the title race, he headed off with Algeria for the African Cup of Nations reinvigorated.
And it was here that Mahrez reminded the world of his qualities as he guided his country to their first title in 29 years.
When he returned to City, Guardiola was planning on giving him an elevated role in his team with Leroy Sane on the verge of joining Bayern Munich in a big-money deal.
But Mahrez had been battling a cold in the weeks before the first game of the new campaign – the Community Shield final against Liverpool – and was given a nasal spray while on international duty which would ultimately thwart City’s plans.
The club’s medics were unable to ascertain what was in the spray – and after notifying the FA – they made the decision to exclude him from the squad to ensure the Algerian would not breach doping rules.
Leroy Sane’s move to Bayern Munich collapsed due to injury and Mahrez’s nasal spray fiasco
Sane played instead and suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which subsequently quashed any chance of his move to Bayern Munich being completed.
Mahrez had gotten off on the wrong foot, again, but with Sane facing a long-term spell on the sidelines, the onus was very much on him to make sure his absence would not be felt.
The Algerian started five of City’s first eight matches in the Premier League but was then an unused substituted for their next four games.
It felt like an all too familiar story. But he made a scoring return to the team in the win over Chelsea back in November to work his way back into Guardiola’s thinking.
The Algerian winger is full of confidence once again and back to terrorising defences
And he has been virtually irrepressible ever since, particularly in the last month or so.
Guardiola wouldn’t dare drop him given the form he is in right now. The swagger from his Leicester days has returned and at times he has been unplayable.
In the past few weeks, there is no player, bar maybe Kevin De Bruyne, who has been more influential for City.
It may be in danger of hyperbole, but when Mahrez is playing like this, it feels like he is the Premier League’s best answer to Lionel Messi.
Mahrez is just as easy on the eye when he’s in the mood and makes it look so easy in the way he manipulates the ball and nonchalantly ties defenders in knots.
He’s looked irrepressible and been City’s most influential player in recent weeks
Although defenders are aware he is always looking to create an angle for his left foot, they still can’t stop it.
And that is what makes Mahrez so good. He is a bag of tricks with a punchline and on his day, he is as good a player as any in the world.
The City winger has already chalked up the same number of goals for the entirety of last season and has four more assists – indicative of how good he has been.
What a difference eight months make. Last April, he could barely get a kick and looked out of the picture completely. Now, he’s City’s driving force.
Pep Guardiola wouldn’t play him eight months ago, now he wouldn’t dare drop him
