It may be hard to believe for a three-time Champions League winner and the man who helped inspire unfancied Wales to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, but Gareth Bale should only now be approaching the peak of his career.
At 28, the Real Madrid winger should be at the height of his powers, breezing past defenders and dominating games week-in, week-out both in La Liga and in Europe.
Instead, as he contemplates another lengthy and demoralising spell on the sidelines, Bale may reflect on when the conversation about him turned from his world-beating powers to his never-ending injury curse.