Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha did not look like he had a long-term future at the club before Roberto De Zerbi came through the door last month.
The Portugal international only played 22 minutes in Igor Tudor's last two matches in charge and was an unused substitute for the 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Palhinha looked out of place at times in the Spurs midfield under Thomas Frank and Tudor as he is not a progressive passer who will constantly break lines and create chances for his teammates.
De Zerbi, though, got the best out of him in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa last time out, as he completed 90% of his passes and won four of his six duels in that match.
Speaking after the game, the Italian head coach also provided his opinion on whether or not the central midfielder should stay at the club beyond his initial loan spell from Bayern Munich.
What Roberto De Zerbi said about Joao Palhinha's Spurs future
De Zerbi has revealed that he wants the club to sign the former Fulham star on a permanent deal from Bayern in the summer transfer window.
When asked if he wants to keep Palhinha, the Spurs boss said: "100 per cent. We have to start with those types of people. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players."Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure and as a guy. I want to see the player with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit, and the same personality, and we are lucky to have him."
These comments suggest that Palhinha, who has scored four goals in the Premier League this season, could return to North London on a permanent deal in the summer.
The Portuguese star is not the only player who already looks better under De Zerbi, though, as another midfield player looks like he could be the Italian's own Luka Modric.
The Spurs star who could be Roberto De Zerbi's own Luka Modric
The standout star for the Lilywhites in their win over Villa last time out was central midfielder Conor Gallagher, who scored a brilliant long range goal to open the scoring.
After joining from Atletico Madrid for £34m in January, the England international looked out of place in a hybrid right wing and midfield role under Tudor that left him with far too much space to defend.
In the last two games under De Zerbi, though, Gallagher has had a clear and defined role and now looks like a player who could be the new Modric for Spurs in the middle of the park.
The former Chelsea star demonstrated his quality on the ball against Wolves and Villa, losing possession just 17 times in 179 minutes of football, and won four tackles for his side.
Modric, of course, made a name for himself in North London by providing reliable passing and a threat at the top end of the pitch, scoring 17 goals and providing 24 assists in 160 games for the club.
Gallagher may not go on to win the Ballon d'Or whilst playing for Real Madrid, but the English talent could offer similar qualities to Modric in the way that he can do a bit of everything in midfield.
The 26-year-old has started all four games under De Zerbi, whilst Palhinha has only started one, and has proven himself to be even more important to the team than the Portuguese star, using his energy to lead the press for Spurs.
In De Zerbi's system, Gallagher has a clear role as the most advanced of the midfield three and it has helped him to focus on what he is best at, which shows that the new boss has hit the jackpot with him.
He has already emerged as a key player for the Italian coach, even more so than Palhinha, who has started one game, and now looks set for a big future at Spurs, as a Modric-esque player who can provide quality as a passer, goal threat, and presser.