Leeds United's relegation has condemned them to at least another year of Championship football, just three years after they thought they had left that league for good.
Whilst their 2004 demotion came as a shock to most, their 16-year failure to return to the top flight surpassed all of these emotions. They had gone from a sleeping giant to a comatose one, and it felt like no matter what occurred they would never earn that romantic Premier League return.
That was until Marcelo Bielsa was appointed, and his magic enacted.
His team was steely and hard-working, completely enamoured with a hard-working philosophy that saw them dominate the division. It was the perfect storm, with Kalvin Phillips conducting from within its eye.
An academy graduate handed a show of faith in a league where the top-flight often send their youngsters to develop, he instead was allowed to learn on the job, quickly becoming their most influential player. That promotion year saw the 27-year-old maintain a 7.28 average rating, alongside 1.8 key passes and 2.6 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
Now, in an effort to repeat that feat at the first time of asking, perhaps they could once again seek to put their faith in the academy, with Sean McGurk surely high on the list for those deserving of a first-team berth.
Who is Sean McGurk?
His potential inclusion within the senior squad is made all the more likely given the expected exit of Luis Sinisterra, who The Athletic suggest could seek to move, with a reported release clause encouraging this. With the possibility of relegation now a reality, the Colombian will be a fine signing for someone out there should he find fitness.
After all, his tally of seven goals in all competitions, whilst slightly underwhelming, was largely marred by a lack of fitness throughout the term.
His failure to adapt to the physicality of the English game cost him, especially after the 23-year-old joined having hit 23 goals and 14 assists the season prior in Holland.
Although having posted numbers nowhere near this level, McGurk has remained one of Michael Skubala's most consistent performers from that left flank, with his six goal contributions in 17 games a solid return. He has been a mainstay in the side that recently earned promotion into the Premier League 1 Division 1.
Seeking to cut in from his wing onto that favoured right foot, the 20-year-old boasts similarly blistering pace and sought to outline his other outstanding attributes after joining the club in 2021: "People describe me as a player who is quite exciting, I like to create goals and score goals and I think that is the strongest part of my game."
Whilst that is yet to shine through in the U21s, perhaps a promotion into the senior squad could see him realise this potential at the Championship level. After all, it only takes the new manager to hand him a few starts to figure out whether he can terrorise the division.
With his frightening speed, quick feet and youthful energy, that is sure to be a given though.