After experiencing mixed fortunes at Bournemouth and Swansea City last season, Ethan Laird left Manchester United on loan for a fourth time in August, joining QPR.
The right-back, who is a product of United's academy system, swapped Swansea for Bournemouth midway through last season and experienced a torrid time on the injury front, being restricted to just six appearances on the South Coast. Just two months after arriving at Loftus Road, however, that experience is nothing more than a distant memory for the youngster.
Laird has already made ten appearances for the Championship promotion hopefuls, scored the first senior goal of his career and become a firm fans' favourite. If anything, his temporary switch to Shepherd's Bush is shaping up to be one of the wisest decisions United made all summer.
To find out more about Laird's development in the capital, MEN Sport spoke to Ian McCullough, who covers QPR as a senior football writer for West London Sport.
IM: Effortlessly. He has been labelled an excitement machine and already a crowd favourite after just ten games. His enthusiastic nature, blistering pace and high-class performances have fans comparing him to Kyle Walker, who spent three months on loan from Spurs in the 2011 season, helping them to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
IM: Full-backs are integral to the style that Mick Beale employs. Laird and left-back Kenneth Paal have both been integral to QPR's fine start to the season. Rangers are the only team in the Championship that play with two out and out No.10s in Chris Willock and Ilias Chair and the full-backs are ordered to play high up the field on the overlap which has worked to good effect - as seen by Willock's winner against Sheffield United last week which was set up by Laird.
IM: His tenacity, pace and ability to cover ground so quickly has been the biggest eye-catcher so far. What has been very impressive is his knack of knowing exactly when to slip in a pass or a cross and he rarely wastes possession.
There have not been too many instances of him being caught out defensively, but he faced some tough moments in the first half against Sheffield United's Jayden Bogle and Rhys Norrington-Evans last week but was much improved after half-time.
IM: His infectious personality and exciting style has gone down a storm with QPR supporters. He conducted a recent interview with a young fan on the club website where he came across as a genuinely nice lad. Rangers have had loan signings from United that have bombed in the past - Will Keane, Fabio, Federico Macheda are three that immediately spring to mind. Subsequently, there was some mild trepidation when he signed. But it took just two games for those doubts to disappear.
IM: Speaking about him only last week, Beale said: "The boy is delighted to be here and loving it on and off the pitch. We are absolutely over the moon with him and what is nice for us is that Man United wanted him to come to QPR and how we all envisaged it going is now happening. He is a lovely boy too and there is nothing not to like about Ethan Laird."
IM: Beale's background probably did play some role in United allowing one of their best young players to make the move to London. However, I think the fact Rangers are a vibrant young team is one of the biggest reasons why Laird has fitted in so well with his teammates. The way the manager has given him licence to play up the field suits his game perfectly.
There have been times this season I have looked at Laird and wondered, why is he in QPR's team and not Manchester United's?