Ryan Allsop and Romaine Sawyers' careers have gone full circle.
Both of them start off at West Brom as real prospects, but were cut loose and had to scrap their way back up to the surface. But, as the old adage goes, the cream always rises to the top and few would argue both represented excellent captures for the Bluebirds this summer.
For Sawyers, his journey took in spells with Norwich City boss Dean Smith at Walsall and then Brentford, before a return to The Hawthorns in 2019. Allsop, meanwhile, took the scenic route to the Welsh capital after his Baggies release in 2011. Millwall, Hottur in Iceland, Leyton Orient, Bournemouth (plus a lot of loans away), Wycombe and then Derby County.
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All told, Sawyers' release was a big eye-opener for Allsop. The playmaker was streets above his contemporaries at West Brom, Allsop believes, and it looked like he was always destined for the top. It doesn't always work out like that, though.
"Me and Romaine came through at West Brom together. We were quite close, we were good friends. I got released before Romaine and then he got released and we went our separate ways," Allsop told WalesOnline.
"We have both worked our way up to this point now. I went to Leyton Orient, Millwall and Iceland. He went to Walsall, Brentford, worked his way up and went back to West Brom.
"His career has been a bit of a shock to me, if I'm being honest, the way he got released from West Brom. I didn't expect it, because he was always a standout player. The way he had to drop down to Walsall to find his feet and establish himself, it was something I didn't foresee. I thought Romaine would always play at the top level.
"I think his vision, the way he plays the game is different to a lot of players and I think, ultimately, he is an outstanding footballer and we are lucky to have him.
"He has got a bit of a point to prove. It didn't work out when he went back to West Brom. Hopefully he will do the business for us.
"It very much seems that way based on his first performance and seeing him in training every day. I think we all can see what a quality player he is. Long may that continue."
Both, though, hope they have something of a more permanent home at Cardiff.
Sawyers, of course, made an instant first impression, lashing home the winner against Norwich, and his old mentor Smith, on his first competitive outing for the club, while Allsop dazzled with silky footwork, a visible command of his box and a bona fide worldie to deny Todd Cantwell's bending effort in the first half.
But it is perhaps his work with the ball at his feet which caught the eye the most.
It will no doubt present some hairy moments and cause mistakes throughout the season, but Allsop insists the good will outweigh the bad. He believes it is one of his best assets and will give the opposition and extra man to think about when Cardiff mount attacks.
Indeed, Steve Morison's insistence on this style of play was one of the big reasons Allsop, 30, chose the Bluebirds over a plethora of clubs who were all chasing his signature this summer.
"It's always a style I've liked to play," he added. "I played it a lot last year at Derby. The team previous to that (Wycombe) I wasn't allowed to express myself with the ball at my feet. I prefer playing with my feet.
"It’s one of my best attributes I want to use and I feel very comfortable doing that. At times it’ll go wrong and I think we all have to understand that. But it's about being brave, staying with it and ultimately it's about doing the right things, that's what will get us success.
"It’s about being brave and keeping on improving and hopefully we will get to where we want to be at the end of the season.
"(Before joining) the manager made his feelings known and, ultimately, it's nice to be wanted and to have someone go all out for you. The size of the club and the vision of the manager, plus the project. I want to help Cardiff get back to where they belong.
"The manager told me the style of play he wants to implement and he told me I would be a big part of that. It was a massive reason for me wanting to come here. I enjoy my football most when I can be involved with the ball at my feet and help the team build up from the back.
"Hopefully I am seen as an extra player in the build-up phase and I'm one more player that the opposition have to deal with."
An opening-day victory, especially against a team expected to be title contenders, is invariably followed by a dampening of expectations. It's only one game, we have to concentrate on the next one, yada yada yada.
And while that, of course, is true, looking at things on a broader scale, Allsop believes this team's ceiling, if they continue on this upwards curve, has a very, very high ceiling.
"The sky is the limit as long as we are willing to take on information and keep learning and growing as a team," he said. "We know there are going to be bumps in the road. It’s about taking it all in and enjoying it, ultimately, and getting results on the pitch.
"It’s about taking each game as it comes and making sure we do the right things to keep progressing. If so, the sky is the limit."
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