Some players go through their football careers with a heavy, heavy dose of bad luck and misfortune. It does not matter how talented they are of their potential threshold for turning into a world beater. The career of a footballer is often cruel.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is one of these such stars. The England international has been dealt the toughest of hands and had to walk the path less traveled. Now, however, he finds himself very much in the last chance saloon.
At a club like Liverpool - only this week celebrating a one year anniversary since they finally ended a 30-year wait to be crowned champions of England - things move fast.
The Reds have burning ambitions to get back atop the pile once more, competing for domestic and European honours. For this they need to have every single senior squad member firing on all cylinders, and those who cannot will be simply left behind.
Now, with his fitness back to optimum level once more, Oxlade-Chamberlain is bidding to make his final throw of the dice to convince boss Jurgen Klopp he can become an Anfield regular and play a starring role in helping his side recover from last year's torrid, injury-blighted campaign.
Sportsmail takes a look at the tasks the 27-year-old faces, and how he can slot back into the red machine.
Opportunity knocks
It's no secret that Liverpool have an opening in midfield this season.
The departure of Georginio Wijnaldum was seen as rather cold by many sections of the fanbase, after the Liverpool hierarchy opted against handing out a long-term deal to a player who was no longer in his twenties.
For the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita, the exit of the Dutchman has provided a glimmer of hope - or at the very least a ticket into the last chance saloon.
Oxlade-Chamberlain made the decision in August 2017 to leave Arsenal for Liverpool in order to nail down his favoured position in the heart of midfield.
It's fair to say he came agonisingly close to doing so towards the end of his first campaign in red, and became a permanent fixture in Klopp's midfield three.
A brutal knee injury sustained against Roma in the semi-finals of the Champions League however put paid to this in the most cruel of fashions.
The Englishman would have likely been a nailed on starter in the European final which was to follow, yet instead he found himself hobbling around the Olympic stadium in Kiev on crunches.
Now, with a spot up for grabs in midfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain's mouth will be watering.
The dynamic star isn't one for happily sitting on the bench and collecting a sizeable pay packet each week. He wants to be involved come what may, and will have been saddened by how last season panned out.
Multiple niggling injuries continued to bite, and the option to build up a bit of momentum was simply never there.
As a result, Oxlade-Chamberlain watched on from the treatment room or the bench for the majority of the season, and missed out on a place in Gareth Southgate's England team for Euro 2020.
It was a painful one to take. Now, though, the comeback could be on. Liverpool sources have made it clear that money will not be thrown about this summer, and that the squad will remain largely as it is.
The likes of Yves Bissouma and Florian Neuhaus have been linked, though concrete interest has not materialised. All the while, Klopp has been keeping a close eye on 'the Ox' in training.
False nine?
After impressing with a brief cameo against Burnley at the end of last season, when he cut across the defence and fizzed a sublime finish into the bottom corner, Oxlade-Chamberlain reminded fans why he could be so important for Liverpool.
It therefore came as little surprise to see the player being tested in more advanced positions as Liverpool got their pre-season up and running in Austria this week.
The last campaign saw a surprisingly drying up of goals from the forward line, and Klopp simply could not rely on the likes of Divock Origi to be consistent enough to provide from the bench.
Here's where Oxlade-Chamberlain comes in. His pace and close control, combined with nimble footwork means Liverpool have a player on their hands who can be molded into a variety of roles.
For a manager like Klopp, this is music to the ears.
As Liverpool faced Wacker Innsbruck and Stuttgart, it was interesting to note how Klopp deployed both Oxlade-Chamberlain and returning youngster Harvey Elliott in new positions.
The former filled in for Roberto Firmino in the usual 'false nine' position, while the latter slotted into the midfield three. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Elliott could then be see interchanging during the match, in order to each dip their toes into different roles.
Many Liverpool fans immediately concluded that this was a clue of things to come, with both players helping to plug gaps in the XI with the club budget being tightened this summer.
For Oxlade-Chamberlain, the false nine role could provide a rebirth, while also taking some of the pressure off Firmino. The Brazilian looked jaded last season, and came under criticism for his supposed waning influence as a result.
There is, however, another role 'the Ox' could fill.
Wing back?
And this happens to be on the flanks, in a much deeper and unfamiliar position.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has wing-back experience before, having played there with Arsenal, but never spoke about the position glowingly.
At Liverpool, however, the game plan demands marauding defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson spend almost more time in the opposition third than their own.
It is a very regimented style, and leaves a lot of the one-on-one defending to the big centre backs or deep-lying midfielder Fabinho.
It is this system therefore which means Oxlade-Chamberlain could well become a candidate, particularly with Liverpool said to be poised to sanction the sale of reserve right back Neco Williams.
Deputising for Alexander-Arnold would not only guarantee more game time, but also provide Klopp with the option of tweaking his system with the arrival of Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Whereas Alexander-Arnold is known for bombing down the wings and slotting in inch-perfect crosses, having Oxlade-Chamberlain at wing-back would introduce the option of having him cut inside to the central areas of midfield in the attack.
Liverpool would then be able to shuffle their personnel and have the likes of captain Jordan Henderson or Fabinho move over momentarily to the wider areas, to support an advancing Ox.
Whether this would work remains to be seen, but Liverpool and their manager will be pleased to have the options.
Compromise
Ultimately, the most likely scenario is for Oxlade-Chamberlain to accept a compromise and make peace with the fact that he is likely to fulfil a variety of tasks and requirements in exchange for regular minutes on the pitch.
By making himself available in numerous capacities, the likelihood of actually starting matches rather than simply coming off the bench heightens exponentially.
The 27-year-old likely will not get the central midfield slot he has so desired, unless he performs to a level which makes him simply undroppable.
With that said, Klopp still operates a system which requires plentiful chopping and changing, to suit a specific opposition on match day.
One thing is for sure, however, Oxlade-Chamberlain will finally be entering a Liverpool campaign with a full pre-season under his belt and match fitness brimming.
The former Arsenal man is also soon to become a father, which will likely provide even more motivation on the pitch to get back to his peak and continue building a football legacy for his little one to learn about later down the line.
To boil it down to a bottom line, Klopp needs versatility this season perhaps more than any before, and Oxlade-Chamberlain is a willing participant.
With a fair bit of good fortune and a large splash of solid effort, a Liverpool career on the rocks may very likely be about to be salvaged.