Michael Keane started 29 games for Everton last season following his £30m move from Premier League rivals Burnley.
Of those, the centre-back lost 12, won eight and drew nine while being part of a defence that conceded 46 goals.
There were questions about his mentality.
He had been under the radar at Burnley, with all due respect, but the pressure at Goodison Park - especially enveloped with a meaty price-tag - was tenfold from fans, media and the club itself.
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It seemed like he was crumbling under the weight of expectation. Keane played every minute of Ronald Koeman's final game in charge - the humbling 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal - as well as the crushing South Coast loss to Southampton under David Unsworth.
Despite a slight upturn towards the end of the campaign - starting each of the last 14 games - the arrival of both Yerry Mina and Kurt Zouma during the summer placed further doubts over his future.
Was he good enough for Everton? And was he good enough for Marco Silva and Marcel Brands' revolution?
Keane responded emphatically.
After admitting in October that he had been playing through the pain barrier for chunks of last season, the defender took his chance during the early stages of Silva's reign.
A warriors performance against Wolves - when Everton were reduced to ten early on - was followed by a goal at Bournemouth.
The horrendous fractured skull injury he suffered in the same game once more looked to place his starting role in jeopardy as Mina and Zouma arrived less than a week later.
But if Keane's first campaign cast doubts, his second has proved the mettle of a man who must start for England in their Euro 2020 qualifying clash against Czech Republic this evening.
Nobody could argue with the 26-year-old's exclusion from Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad in the summer.
Even Keane himself is aware that he can improve. When interviewed by the press after the win over Bournemouth back in January, the Manchester United product was asked if he was starting to reach the top of his game at Goodison Park.
No, no, he responded. He knows he can improve further.
Kyle Walker, John Stones, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones and Harry Maguire were the men chosen to represent the Three Lions in Russia as England reached the World Cup semi-final.
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Walker, Stones and Maguire made up a three-man defence for most of the tournament as Southgate's men allowed the nation to dream once more.
This season, Walker has been deployed in his natural right-back position by Pep Guardiola while Stones has missed 11 games.
Maguire, courted by Jose Mourinho's Manchester United during the summer, has suffered a season of inconsistencies with an out-of-sorts Leicester City.
This is not to say Keane is a better footballer than any of the aforementioned stars but tonight is potentially his big chance.
Stones has been ruled out of the clash through injury while Cahill and Jones aren't included in the squad. Walker and Maguire remain while Burnley's James Tarkowski comes in.
Tarkowski, at least, understands what is at stake.
“Obviously Stonesy isn’t here so there is a position vacant at the moment,” he said this week.
“I want to be a part of the team and be playing, but I understand how hard it is just to make the squad never mind make the starting XI. But I will be doing everything I can to impress."
Keane too must be ruthless.
Outstanding performances in home and away clashes against Chelsea and Liverpool have proved this season that he can cut it against the best.
Everton fans have warmed to his sometimes awkward but always committed style of defending. Southgate will also have been pleased after attending the 2-0 win over Bournemouth at Goodison Park when Keane was arguably man of the match .
"That's something I want to do. I want to be involved with England," he said after being notified the Three Lions boss was in attendance.
The injury to Stones means there's a good chance he will be handed a chance this evening.
Keane has patiently turned the tide of opinion on Merseyside this season.
Now it's time to get the nation on his side too.
