It wasn't too long ago that the idea of Mason Greenwood getting into Gareth Southgate's England squad was farfetched.
After a stunning breakthrough campaign in 2019-20 that saw him score 10 times in the Premier League, 2020-21 got off to a difficult start for the teenager.
It took him until December to score his first league goal of the season, and it took him a little over four months to net again.
Although he was in England contention at the start of the season, such form had seemingly seen him fall well out of the reckoning. When he was unsurprisingly absent from the March selection, few eyebrows were raised.
After all, it was back in September when Greenwood – having just won his first senior cap against Iceland – was involved in controversy involving two local girls being brought to the team hotel. He and Phil Foden were subsequently sent home and left out of the next squad.
But Foden was swiftly recalled in November having impressed early on, and he looks set to take on a key role at the Euros such has been his influence at Premier League champions Manchester City.
It's a slightly different scenario for the similarly talented Greenwood, and the reality is he will probably miss out, but his return form has at least given him a chance.
Perseverance and focus
As previously mentioned, Greenwood's form really suffered in the first part of the season, and that seemed to linger well into this year.
When considering what went wrong, it's of course natural to look at his performances and on-pitch habits.
For example, shot map data earlier in the season suggested he has potentially been found out by defenders. He wreaked havoc in 2019-20 when cutting inside on to his left foot and shooting, but it looked as though opponents had become wise to this, forcing him outside more often.
That's one theory – another worth considering is the human side of football. Let's not forget, Greenwood – a teenager – went through a lot last year.
There was the death of a close friend, the controversy on England duty and subsequent vilification of him from certain sections of the British media. All of that would be difficult for anyone to contend with, let alone a kid of 18 or 19 years.
Perhaps then it was just a matter of time, patience and perseverance for him to get back to his best, which he appears to be on the evidence of the past six weeks or so.
The fact we are even talking about his chances of going to the Euros is a triumph for Greenwood in itself.
From drought to downpour
Greenwood went on a run of 15 appearances without a single goal from late January, but he ended that barren spell against Leicester City on March 21.
Life has been rather different for him since then, finding himself back among the goals in the Premier League on April 4, netting the late winner as United defeated Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 with a diving header.
That's one of six league goals in a run of eight matches, more than any other English forward in that time, netting at a rate of once every 88 minutes – by comparison, Harry Kane's recent form has him scoring every 125.8 minutes in the league.
Greenwood is once again showing the kind of killer-instinct in front of goal that made him so feared in 2019-20, when he scored 17 goals across all competitions.
Ten of those came in the league from an expected goals (xG) value of just 2.9, meaning he scored 7.1 goals more than expected. No player in the division could match that xG overperformance.
This would generally indicate elite-level finishing or a player getting lucky. Greenwood's form earlier this season suggested it was the latter, but since April 4 his xG overperformance in the league is 2.6 – the next best in this regard is Danny Ings (1.9 overperformance).
However, the caveat is that Greenwood's expected goals on target (xGOT) of 2.7 is lower than his xG of 3.4, suggesting that he's actually been a little fortunate, benefiting from goalkeeping errors, for instance.
For example, against Burnley his goal took a deflection en route to goal, while his effort against Aston Villa went in off the hand of Emiliano Martinez.
In terms of the difference between his xG and xGOT, Greenwood actually ranks poorly when compared to his rivals for a place in the England squad since April 4, with Ollie Watkins' 3.95 xGOT better than his 3.0 xG, which suggests his four goals have come about via good finishing because he has outperformed the underlying quality of his chances.
Ings, Kane and Marcus Rashford have also done better than Greenwood in this area of late, however the counter-argument would be that the teenager perhaps creates his own luck with unpredictable play on the ball and his comfort with either foot.
Southgate will make his decision regarding the squad on Tuesday, and Greenwood is likely still seen as an outsider, but there's no question he has given the manager food for thought.
Mesut Ozil announces retirement at age of 34
Former Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.
The 92-cap Germany international, who won the World Cup with his country in 2014, also represented Schalke, Werder Bremen, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir during his 17-year career.
Ozil was under contract with Turkish side Basaksehir until the end of the season, but he has called time on his playing career due to a number of injury issues.
"After thoughtful consideration, I'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football," he wrote in a statement on his personal Twitter account on Wednesday.
"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity.
"But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football."
Ozil started his career with Schalke before moving to fellow Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, where his impressive form across three seasons led to a move to Madrid.
In three campaigns at the Santiago Bernabeu, the German playmaker won a LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.
He joined Arsenal in a big-money deal in September 2013 and was arguably the best number 10 in world football for a period.
Indeed, the 146 chances Ozil created in 2015-16 remains the most ever in a single Premier League campaign.
After seven and a half years in north London, during which time he won four FA Cups, Ozil joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer after his Arsenal contract was terminated.
Ozil spent two largely unsuccessful seasons with Fener before making the switch to Basaksehir, where he had been restricted to just four league appearances this season.
"It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions," Ozil added in his statement.
"I want to thank my clubs – Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Fenerbahce, Basaksehir and the coaches who supported me, plus team-mates who have become friends.
"Special thanks must go to my family members and my closest friends. They have been a part of my journey from day one and have given me so much love and support, through the good times and the bad.
"Thank you to all my fans who have shown me so much love no matter the circumstances and no matter which club I was representing.
"Now I'm looking forward to everything that is in front of me with my beautiful wife, Amine, and my two beautiful daughters, Eda and Ela – but you can be sure that you will hear from me from time to time on my social media channels. See you soon, Mesut!"
At international level, Ozil started all seven of Germany's matches in their triumphant World Cup 2014 campaign.
He scored 23 goals in 92 appearances, the most recent of those caps coming against South Korea at the 2018 World Cup.
BREAKING NEWS: Mesut Ozil announces retirement at age of 34
Former Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.
The former Germany international, who earned 92 caps for his country, also represented Schalke, Werder Bremen, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir during his 17-year career.
Ozil was under contract with Turkish side Basaksehir until the end of the season, but he has called time on his playing career due to a number of injury issues.
Rabiot calm over Juventus future with all options open
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot would not suggest whether he plans to remain at Juventus despite his contract only running until the end of the season.
The Bianconeri are still fighting in the Europa League and Coppa Italia, after a 15-point deduction derailed their league campaign.
Rabiot insisted he is focused on the remainder of Juve's season rather than being drawn on his personal position in a Tuttosport interview.
He said: "My future? For the moment there is no news, but we will definitely talk soon, because in about two months the season will be over and we will try to discuss [it], but I'm calm.
"There is the possibility of leaving but also the possibility of signing a new contract with Juve.
"I feel good in Turin, I do a good job at the club and there is a good relationship with the management, my team-mates and the coach, who has also helped me.
"I believe all of this is important to feel good and therefore make the right choice for my future."
Rabiot might well have left Juve last year, when he reportedly came close to joining Manchester United, though a move to Old Trafford fell through.
After a difficult start to the season, Juve had thrust themselves into the Serie A title race. However, their chances were ended by a 15-point deduction due to financial irregularities.
As a result, Juve went into the international break in seventh, seven points behind fourth-placed Milan with 11 games remaining.
Rabiot added: "Without the 15 points [deduction] we would be able to qualify for the Champions League.
"But honestly, I say that we could qualify even if the penalty were to remain. I believe it.
"We are focussed on all fronts and clearly the Europa League is something we will try and win.
"There are still many good teams left, but we want to achieve something important. I'm confident we can win both the Europa League and the Coppa.
"We are having a complicated season for all the reasons that are known, but I believe that despite this, we are able to win.
"In fact, to be honest, I can also say that succeeding would give us even greater satisfaction."
Juve's second game after the international break is the first leg of their Coppa semi-final against Inter, with the Bianconeri having beaten Simone Inzaghi's side at the San Siro in Serie A to round off their pre-break fixtures.
"The lads in the team have a lot of desire to win, also because it is the historical spirit of Juventus," Rabiot said.
"The DNA of the club is clear, and we all want to pass it on to those who arrive.
"If I have to tell the truth, the impression I got on Sunday is, Inter is a team less strong than the one we faced in Turin.
"They also seemed less strong than last year. I had the feeling that they felt less confidence."
Rabiot's initial focus is on France, with Les Bleus facing the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2024 qualifiers over the coming days.
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