“I just want to adapt as quickly as possible,” he said. “I’ll do the best I can, try my hardest and hopefully have a good season.”
That player was Eric Dier.
In the famous words of commentator Barry Davies, what has happened since can only be described as ‘Schoolboy’s Own stuff’.
Taking on a new holding midfield role in the summer of 2015, he’s made it his own, starting 54 of our last 57 matches (41 of 42 in the Premier League) and has racked up 12 England caps, starting every match in Euro 2016.