Mykhailo Mudryk showed Chelsea fans the ability he has in his locker with a superb performance for Ukraine's Under 21 side against France.
Ukraine won 3-1 in the UEFA Euro Under 21 quarter-final to set up a semi-final showdown with Spain on Wednesday.
They beat a talented France side and it was Mudryk who ran the show, producing the kind of performance that would explain why Chelsea dropped £88 million on him and tied him to an eight-year contract in January.
Despite early promise on his debut against Liverpool, Mudryk struggled in his early months in a poor Chelsea side and did not score in 17 appearances.
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Mudryk could be given a new lease of life under new boss Mauricio Pochettino and he excited fans with his display on Sunday for his country.
He won a penalty for Ukraine's equaliser scored by Heorhiy Sudakov and then set up his former Shakhtar Donetsk for the second with an outrageous bit of play.
Picking up the ball deep in his own half, the No.10 threaded through the most delightful pass to split the France defence wide open.
It was weighted beautifully for Sudakov to latch onto and round Lucas Chevalier to put Ukraine ahead. Chelsea fans have not seen this side to Mudryk's game and will be hoping it's a sign of what to come.
At times last season Mudryk looked completely bereft of any belief and confidence but his compatriot Andriy Shevchenko, who also played for Chelsea, thinks he should be given time to settle in.
“Mudryk is very young but I think he is quite confident," Shevchenko told SPORTbible.
"I saw his interview and he knows his quality. Chelsea signed him for eight years, it’s a long-term contract and they believe in the quality of the player.
“In football if you have the opportunity you have to take it. I think he’s going to have plenty of opportunities but we’ll see how it goes.
“For me he is quality, he is sharp, he’s strong, he’s fast and you just have to adapt better for Premier League football.
“The best advice is to just believe in yourself. I think he has this quality. He knows he’s a good player. My best advice is just keep working hard and see what you can achieve.”
Topics: Chelsea, Mykhailo Mudryk, Ukraine, France
Josh Lawless