Last night Everton star Richarlison came on for the injured Neymar and scored the only goal in Brazil’s friendly win against Cameroon in Milton Keynes.
This was the latest chapter in the continuing emergence of Richarlison as a talent with the potential to be a top player for Everton and his country.
Richarlison has made real progress this season after his high-profile, big money move from Watford in the summer.
The exciting youngster has already scored six Premier League goals so far and this is despite missing several games due to his suspension after a controversial red card at Bournemouth in August.
Being re-united with Marco Silva, who seems to be something of a father-figure and mentor to the young Brazilian, has been a key factor in this form.
There had been a feeling he was perhaps still a raw, developing forward and might prove an inconsistent and perhaps at times frustrating player.
But there was no doubting his talent. With his pace, strength and dynamic running, he is a constant threat and a thorn in a defenders side. His aerial ability is something that has also proved an added bonus to Everton.
Richarlison has in addition shown his intelligence as he has adjusted well to playing not just on the left hand side of the Blues attack, as expected, but also increasingly through the middle for club and now country.
Indeed that adaptability has proved to be a great asset giving him the opportunity to make his debut for Brazil probably ahead of time.
And for Everton it has, at least temporarily, helped solve a problem the Blues had in finding a central striker with the pace, movement and goal scoring ability to compliment the improved creativity of the Toffees’ attack.
The Blues had tried Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in that role but both had, at least so far, failed to make the position their own.
Moving Richarlison to that more central role was something I had advocated as a possible long-term option for the Blues, given his qualities.
And with the return to fitness of his fellow Brazil international Bernard, who favours playing on the left too, Everton boss Silva was able to shift Richarlison into the middle and it has worked reasonably well.
It’s still early days in this experiment and the increasing flexibility of the Toffees attack is in fact one of its strengths.
Richarlison is able to move back to playing in the wide areas and with Ademola Lookman making real progress as well and challenging for a starting role, Silva has some really good options now.
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On top of this there is the prospect of another Everton forward signing who has become almost a forgotten man, Henry Onyekuru, finally getting his chance to join Everton next season.
He is a player who can also play in a wide or central position so adding further to the attacking choices the Blues boss will have.
Talking of almost forgotten signings, there are media reports today that Nikola Vlasic who is currently on loan at CSKA Moscow, will not be allowed by Everton to join another club despite interest from several top European clubs.
The young Croatian midfielder has had little real chance at Everton so far but it seems that he is still in the long-term plans of the Blues management.