Virgil van Dijk has given Liverpool a very much needed injection of optimism after returning to the training pitch for the first time since his ruptured ACL injury in October.
The Dutchman is back at the Reds' state-of-the-art AXA base in Kirkby, and has now for the first time returned to the grass with a football.
Star defender Van Dijk looked to be in high spirits as he waved for the cameras before getting down to business.
Liverpool have confirmed the Dutchman will be training alone for several weeks for the next stage of his recovery process, under the guidance of a team of expert medical staff.
Van Dijk was seen putting his knee through a full range of motions, completing some ladder work before dribbling with the football and working on his touch and control.
It is a comforting sight for Liverpool fans, who watched on in October as Van Dijk crumpled to the turf at Goodison Park after being caught by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in a reckless challenge.
The Everton man was not booked for the incident, with officials pointing to Van Dijk being in an offside position at the time. Referee Michael Oliver however has since admitted to Sportsmail that Pickford should have been dismissed.
Van Dijk underwent surgery in the days following the injury, and has spent the last few months working at an exclusive rehabilitation clinic in Dubai.
Liverpool sent their £75million star off to the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex, which boasts some of the finest fitness and training equipment in the world.
The complex is only available to elite sporting athletes and teams, and has been previously used by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Novak Djokovic and Van Dijk's team-mate Mohamed Salah.
While Van Dijk's latest progress is highly encouraging and appears to be ahead of schedule, manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted he does not expect him to play again this season.
Speaking to LFCTV earlier in the month, Klopp said: 'No doctor, nobody really told me there’s a chance for Virgil to play in this season again.
'I don’t want to say that’s absolutely impossible but it’s not likely. It’s not likely. We don’t have to discuss these things really.'
Despite the highly unlikely chance of his return, Van Dijk was still included in Liverpool's Premier League official squad-list which Klopp had to submit on February 6.
Klopp later admitted Van Dijk was placed on the list purely in the event of a 'miracle' and his recovery process defying all the odds.
Liverpool have badly struggled without their star defender and currently sit in sixth place, five points adrift of the top four.
Klopp's back line has taken a further battering in the absence of Van Dijk, with both Joe Gomez and Joel Matip also being ruled out for the season.