Had their first experiences in English football gone as they would have wished, Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne could have been teammates rather than on a collision course for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final clash between Liverpool and Manchester City.
How Chelsea fans must wish they had remained on the same side. Instead, neither player's style suited Jose Mourinho's physical approach and were sent through Stamford Bridge's revolving door for talented midfield players at the time having made just a combined 16 league appearances.
Both sales have come back to haunt Chelsea, who now look set to miss out on a place in the Champions League next season whilst De Bruyne orchestrates City's relentless march towards the title, and Salah's stunning scoring streak has Liverpool well on course for a place in the Premier League's top four.
They are also engaged in a personal duel for Premier League player of the year prizes as the two outstanding players in the division.
De Bruyne has the advantage of being at the heart of a machine-like City side now just one win away from winning the Premier League in record quick time.
However, he is the principal architect on the field of Pep Guardiola's vision to not just win, but to do so in style.
More From This Section
"He is the best example and he helps us to be a better club, a better institution for the future," gushed Guardiola when speaking of his admiration for the Belgian.
Liverpool know only too well of the danger posed by De Bruyne's passing range as his two assists cut the visitors open in a 5-0 City rout when the sides first met this season in September in a display that saw Guardiola label him the "complete player".
- Salah a 'proper striker' -
============================
"When I scored 47 goals we won the European Cup," said Rush last week. "We won three trophies that season and that's what we've got to start doing now."