The season may not yet be two months old but Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has already experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.
It was a situation which could easily have consumed a young player but Abraham responded by scoring his first Chelsea goals next time out at Norwich, triggering a run of seven in three games and Abraham can recall clearly the turning point.
“Before the Norwich game [on August 24], the gaffer had a good chat with me,” he said. “Up to that point, it had been kind of a challenge for me this season.
“I had the penalty situation against Liverpool in the Super Cup, I had the racist abuse, but for a coach to believe in me, that meant a lot.
“That day, he just said to me: 'Listen, I know what you're made of — just go and show everyone else.'
“He said: 'You've done it [on loan] at Aston Villa, just go on the pitch and enjoy yourself'. It's always nice to hear that, when you know there's no pressure on you and you can just go out and enjoy yourself. I felt confident that day and I still do. I said to myself, 'You've been given this opportunity to start for Chelsea. Grab it with two hands.'”
Abraham would be well served by remembering how he broke his duck at Carrow Road.
“It was a dream come,” he said. “To score for Chelsea is an incredible feeling but also a massive achievement after all these years.”