On Tuesday night, Marcus Rashford returns to the venue where he first made his mark as a Barcelona player.
In September, the on-loan Manchester United forward was the key man as his team won away at Newcastle United, scoring two spectacular goals, his first and second in Barcelona colours.
Inside a raucous St James’ Park, man-of-the-match Rashford was serenaded with chants of “Rassssshford! Rasssssshford!” from the 800 travelling fans high up on the stadium's third tier.
Rashford needed them. If Barca are to agree to buy him at the end of the season for a £30 million fee, he needs to be productive in a side which scores every game. With two months of the season remaining, he is passing that test.
Rashford has contributed a creditable 10 goals (four in La Liga, five in the Uefa Champions League, one in the cup) and 13 assists so far. Barcelona did not bring him into to be their top scorer as he was three times at Manchester United, but to bolster the forward line.
Four Barcelona players have more La Liga goals, but only teammate Lamine Yamal has made more assists. Rashford gets a pass mark for his contributions so far, but his club need a repeat result against Newcastle United since the Champions League is the barometer at Camp Nou.
The Catalans, who last won the competition in 2015, exited after two epic semi-finals against Inter Milan last year and finished fifth in the 36 team group this season, on the same points as Chelsea and behind three English teams.
Man City were eighth, Newcastle 12th, which left them needing a play-off against Qarabag, which they won convincingly 9-3 on aggregate.
That those five English teams are still in the competition and all finished in the top 12 against the four Spanish teams who finished fifth, ninth, 14th, 29th and 35th shows where the power now lies in European football, but Barcelona and Real Madrid (who face Manchester City again) are still among the favourites. The second leg is at Camp Nou next week.
Domestically, Barca head La Liga with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid with 11 games to play.
Those matches are taking place against a backdrop of unsettling presidential elections at the club, with much mud and allegations being slung as incumbent Joan Laporta seeks to retain power.
Former manager and legendary player Xavi Hernandez on Sunday revealed that he had agreed for Lionel Messi to return to the club but “Leo didn't return to Barca because the president doesn't want him to”. It was Laporta and his people who brought Rashford in and he is favourite to retain his presidency.
Rashford is in a good place. Reports recently suggested that Barcelona would try to negotiate a lower fee. There were also reports that Michael Carrick wanted him back at United.
From United’s perspective it is simple: If Barcelona don’t agree to the terms and option to buy set out in the loan when the contract is up in June, then he returns to Old Trafford with a year of his contract left to run.
There will be no renegotiation and United feel there will be no shortage of suitors for a player who has proved his worth in La Liga this term.
United also do not recognise rumours that Carrick or the club wants Rashford back and financially, the numbers do not add up when it comes to him playing for United again. He earns too much and his United contract, which runs until 2028, is loaded towards the 28-year-old earning even more.
The Mancunian moving to Barcelona was good for all parties, his race at United was run and his reputation lower than it is now. Rehabilitation came in the form of a loan spell at Aston Villa.
Rashford’s two previous English clubs meet at Old Trafford on Sunday with both pushing to reach the Champions League. He performed well while on loan at Villa a year ago and that was key in facilitating his move to Barcelona.
Because he did well, Villa coach Unai Emery could – and did – vouch for him to suitors in Spain. That gave Barcelona the confidence to do the one-year loan deal and coach Flick and sports director Deco have long had Rashford’s back, giving him confidence.
The change has been good for him. He is living by the Mediterranean to the south of Barcelona and is popular with his teammates, a change of scene and the good fortune to play at a club where most footballers dream of being.
He is respected by fans and has played more than 2,000 minutes so far for the Catalans, and while fans may dispute whether he would be in their strongest XI, his transfer fee is a relatively low one, even if his wages are not.
After his goals at Newcastle last time, Flick said: “When there was a chance to sign him [Rashford], I said, ‘Yeah, let's do it’. I said to him, ‘I want you in my team.’ His skills are unbelievable; he is a fantastic player. When we spoke before the season of what we needed, it was a player like him.”
That decision has been vindicated but Rashford’s future is far from settled and he still has, in the eyes of some, much to prove.