It wasn't that long ago that Ryan Bennett was one of the first names on the teamsheet at Swansea City.
After the highly-publicised and long, drawn out sale of local hero Joe Rodon to Tottenham Hotspur, he was hailed by Steve Cooper as the man to bring a welcome injection of experience to his young side.
Bennett's impression was so great, even Cooper's son was copying the centre-back's trademark, no-nonsense, shirt-tucked-in look, which in many ways embodied his often blood and thunder attitude towards defending.
But over a year on, and his position under possession obsessive and former Norwich City team-mate Russell Martin, now feels a little uncertain - from the outside at least.
After being left out of the squad for Monday's win over West Bromwich Albion, Bennett was once again overlooked for the 3-1 triumph over Coventry City at the weekend.
Indeed, he's now started just two of the last 11 games, although he was admittedly suspended for one of those outings.
It's perhaps never too wise to jump to conclusions, such is the haywire nature of things in SA1 in recent years.
But even so, it's difficult not to feel that there's at least some degree of significance to his persistent absence.
Martin did, to a certain extent, address Bennett's role shortly after the win over the Sky Blues, suggesting that the arrival of Finley Burns from Manchester City has perhaps caused him to slip down the pecking order of late.
"He's fine," the Swans boss replied when asked on the experienced defender's fitness after the win over the Sky Blues.
"Fin Burns came out of the team, and I thought it was really unfair out of the starting XI and then out of the squad because Fin did great in his last two games.
"Bristol City, he was excellent on his debut. Sheffield United, he was one of the few players to emerge with some credit. How brave he remained throughout the whole game for an 18-year-old kid. Didn't go under at all.
"So we really love Fin, but with Naughts coming back it's difficult because the most consistent back three has been the back three that played today.
"It's the back three we've had the best record with. So there was a temptation to put Ryan Manning up the pitch because it would have been a more natural fit maybe, but then we lose balance at the back.
"And whenever we've done that, even when Ryan [Manning] has brought us a lot in the final third, it's affected us.
"So the decision was to try and remain consistent with that one.
"But Benno's fit. He's in the squad. He's training well. He's been no problem at all and he's been really good with the likes of Fin Burns when he's not involved and he understands.
"He just might have to be patient to wait for his slot back in again."
Those comments certainly don't point to a player that's set to be left out in the cold, but one does still get the impression that, as things stand, Bennett faces an uphill task in regaining his status as a first team favourite he so enjoyed under Martin's predecessor.
Bennett currently has one year left on his current deal and is currently one of the club's higher earners.
Given he is understood to have already attracted interest from elsewhere, it feels like there might well be a big decision to make when the summer rolls round, particularly if he fails to muscle his way back into Martin's first team plans.
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