The former Barcelona star has been given the job of leading both his club and national sides and is reveling in the freedom, writes Kris Voakes.
For many years, Alexis Sanchez was not a man who commanded the spotlight. His blistering pace and fantastic trickery won him plenty of plaudits but, whether it was Antonio Di Natale at Udinese or more notably Lionel Messi at Barcelona, there was always somebody else courting greater attention from the watching world.
But as the entire nation of Chile looks to him to lead them past Mexico on Monday and into the Copa America quarterfinals, Sanchez is quickly adapting to the demands of being the go-to guy for both club and country.