It has proven one of the most thankless tasks in the Liverpool squad of recent years. But a combination of events means a rare opportunity has opened up to become understudy to one of the most influential players of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Who now serves as the best alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold is a question with which the Reds boss will be pondering given the departure of James Milner and the change in tactics during the closing months of the season.
Alexander-Arnold's hold on the right-back slot has been almost vice-like since his first full season as the first choice in the position in 2018/19.
The 24-year-old has started 162 of Liverpool's 190 Premier League games in that time, with a further 10 appearances from the bench. An unused substitute on seven other occasions, his durability is underlined by having sat out just 11 top-flight games through injury during the last five years.
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Of those 28 Premier League matches Alexander-Arnold hasn't started, Milner lined up for 11 of them. Neco Williams, who departed to Nottingham Forest last summer, had five, with the 2018/19 season seeing Nathaniel Clyne start at right-back for one game and even Jordan Henderson filling the role on a solitary occasion.
The remaining nine were made by Joe Gomez who, with Milner gone, is the only current senior right-back alternative, and in truth has perhaps been more consistently impressive in the role in recent times than when playing in his more accustomed centre-back slot.
Liverpool also have two teenage understudies with limited first-team experience with the Reds. Calvin Ramsay was signed on an initial £4million deal from Aberdeen, but injury restricted him to just two appearances last season. Conor Bradley, meanwhile, made his breakthrough in 2021/22 with five outings and has just enjoyed a hugely successful loan spell at League One side Bolton Wanderers.
The pair will no doubt be mindful of what happened to the other youngsters who challenged Alexander-Arnold, the experience of Wales international Williams in keeping with previous Academy graduates to have been promoted to first-team right-back since Alexander-Arnold's emergence although, with 33 appearances, he has proven by far the most successful.
Rafa Camacho, a right-winger by trade, made one start and a substitute appearance in 2018/19 before leaving for Sporting Lisbon, where he has struggled to make a regular impact and spent the last two-and-a-half seasons out on loan.
And Ki-Jana Hoever played four times before joining Wolves, but spent this term initially on loan at PSV Eindhoven before moving down to the Championship for a temporary spell at Stoke City.
Of course, the landscape is now different with Milner leaving and Liverpool gaining greater tactical flexibility with Alexander-Arnold's inverted right-back role. While nobody would be expected to replicate that contribution - very few players could - both Ramsay and Bradley have shown in their embryonic careers the potential to offer greater natural attacking threat than Gomez. And, of course, should Alexander-Arnold ever move into midfield, the profile of the two younger players would make them a more natural fit as a replacement right-back.
In the immediate future, though, their careers are likely to travel different paths. Liverpool are keen for Ramsay to have as much game time as possible has he builds up full fitness after so long on the sidelines, with Championship side Preston North End agreeing a deal to take him on loan next season.
Bradley, though, is game ready and hardened by 53 appearances - 48 as a starter - for Bolton this term, playing at Wembley in the Papa John's Trophy final win over Plymouth Argyle and featuring in the League One play-offs while snaffling a host of personal accolades. He also featured regularly for the Northern Ireland national team, with whom he is now preparing for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Denmark and Kazakhstan over the next week.
"It was an unreal season, it was everything I wished for and more," said Bradley to the BBC. "To play that many games, that is what I wanted to go and do. It has toughened me up a bit and it was vital for me.
"To pick up a couple of awards at the end of the season was an added bonus. It was a really good year and I learned lots from it. I would tell any young player to get out and go on loan to play games. In the summer I will go back to pre-season with Liverpool and I just have to see how that will go. The future is dependent on that."
Indeed, Bradley is now poised to demonstrate the benefit of his loan move by having a chance to stake his Reds claim during pre-season, where a sufficient impression could open up the opportunity of minutes in the first half of next term, particularly in the League Cup and Europa League early rounds.
"The plan is to bring him back and keep him, but we will see," said Klopp in April. "He is a contender (for the first team). A few years ago, only a few football nerds would have known about him. Now everyone knows about him."
For good reason are Liverpool as of yet not seriously considering purchasing a right-back this summer. Klopp has shown in the past his willingness to give youth a chance - and the chance has come for Bradley to grasp his.
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