This time last year, many Sheffield United fans would have been delighted to see Vinicius Souza leave the club. There were even offers to drive the Brazilian as far away from Bramall Lane as possible.
Twelve months on, the 26-year-old midfielder has joined Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga with a mix of genuine disappointment and best wishes from Blades supporters.
It’s quite the redemption story.
‘Vini’ arrived during a challenging summer for ex-boss Paul Heckingbottom, as United prepared for the Premier League on a limited budget.
Star players Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge were controversially sold, with Souza one of the new signings charged with filling a sizeable void.
He failed to impress, as did the side in general, with his antics regularly annoying team-mates, including several on-pitch arguments with finger-pointing a plenty.
I even remember a pre-kick-off ‘low five’ at Old Trafford for compatriot Antony, something which frustrated our BBC Sheffield summariser Carl Asaba at the time for its timing and unprofessionalism.
Relegation inevitably followed for the bottom-placed Blades, but a new season under returning boss Chris Wilder brought a new 4-2-3-1 formation and a fresh chance for Souza as one of two holding midfielders.
The former Flamengo, Lommel and Espanyol man was a different player, bulldozing Championship opponents, driving the team forward, providing the fuel for the team’s creative talents, like Gus Hamer, Callum O’Hare and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
Souza was also a superb foil for emerging academy stars Oli Arblaster and Sydie Peck in United’s midfield two, giving them the confidence and security to flourish.
Unfortunately, injury disrupted the second half of Souza’s season and he did not quite finish the campaign in the same imperious way he started, but he had already done enough for many at Bramall Lane to expect his exit following defeat in the Championship play-off final.
Souza may have played the villain in his first season in England, but his name was increasingly sung – to a Slade classic – as United came agonisingly close to an immediate top-flight return.
“Come on Vini Souza, join us in the boozer, we’re one-nil up, we’re one-nil up.”
I suspect the Brazilian will have a pint waiting when he returns to Sheffield in the future, rather than one being thrown in his face.
