Whether he was initially labelled most-wanted or not, Robbie Keane has become one of the few plus factors Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle can bank on in the crossroads season ahead at White Hart Lane.
The Irish striker, 23 in July, was one of the few bright spots in the last campaign for Spurs after his stg£7million signing from Leeds United, but he only switched to north London in search of regular Premiership football, having been a frustrated substitute at each of his two previous clubs.
But Keane must have wondered quite what he had let himself in for when the build-up to the move that just about squeezed through last August's transfer window was clouded by speculation that Spurs' director of football, David Pleat was the prime driving force in the switch from Leeds United rather than team-boss Hoddle.
"There is a lot of talk about Robbie Keane, but he is not on my list," Hoddle said just a few weeks before the deal - stg£3.5million down and the same again to follow after a full season - was done.
Hoddle, who has been known to lay a few false trails for the media pack, mumbled something about successful subterfuge when Keane finally did arrive - but then promptly stuck him on the substitutes' bench for his first match.
The Dubliner had to sit there for 90 minutes watching Spurs suffer their first defeat of the campaign away to Fulham. Talk about deja vu.
"Obviously you don't expect to walk straight into a team but you have to get on with it and earn your place and I played the next 20-odd league games before a couple of little injuries knocked me back.
"Apart from that I've been lucky enough to play practically week-in, week-out which is all I've ever wanted. And I've managed to score a few decent goals as well which is what I needed to do.
"I've always thought that a striker can only reach his best if he's playing regularly. That problem worried me at Leeds and Inter although they were two great clubs where I was proud to play.
"In the end, though, you have to feel confident and comfortable with your situation, at least I do. Spurs paid good money for me and I want to show I'm value for it.
"It has gone well for me personally and I'm still learning. The season was a disappointment for the club but probably not that much of a surprise considering how many important players we lost through injuries.
"I still think there is great potential here and, hopefully we will bring that out next season."At least he's settled easily to London life. Keane's stg£13million dream move to Inter in July 2000 where the Milanese side already boasted four top international strikers including Ronaldo and Christian Vieiri, was predictably ill-fated but how could a kid from Tallaght turn it down?
And when Leeds, then playing their near-suicidal pay-now-count-the-cost-later game, rescued him back to Premiership football just six months later for about the same sort of fee it did not really get much better.
For a start he was ineligible for their Champions League adventure that season and Alan Smith and Mark Viduka struck up a front-line partnership which was still preferred even when Terry Venables took over as boss from sacked David O'Leary.
Bench-life was a numbing experience once more for the striker who became British football's costliest teenager when he switched from Wolves to Coventry for stg£6million in August 1999.
So it was off to Spurs and a man-and-boy partnership with Teddy Sheringham which brought them 13 goals each but only more mediocrity for the Hod squad. Keane admits he has never asked Hoddle whether he was a first-choice signing.
He knows there is little point in such a question - especially for a player who has 40-plus Irish caps and is constantly compared favourably by fans in Dublin with Liverpool and England's Michael Owen.
"It is always nice to get praise, but you realise pretty quickly you are only as good as your next game," says Keane.
"I've done pretty well at Spurs in my first season but you always look to improve.
"It is my business to score goals and I usually get some pretty decent ones but the coaches here have been on at me to get a few more tap-ins and that's something I'm after next season.
"Like all strikers I love scoring and it is great when they fly in, but if I can knock in a few more from a few yards I'll be happy enough to add them to the total. It might be just the difference between a team doing well or only average."