Harvey Barnes’ impact on loan at West Brom last year was such that when he was prematurely recalled to Leicester City six months into a season-long arrangement, celebrity fan Adrian Chiles fought the urge to put on a black armband, while then-manager Darren Moore declared the club were "very disappointed".

In his short spell at the Hawthorns the then 20-year-old was often sensational, scoring nine times and creating seven assists in 26 Championship appearances, while overall his stint could be viewed as an announcement that here was a winger with a very bright future indeed. He was versatile and robust and these traits were allied to a quick-witted inventiveness and end product. Wide-men with such a combination of talents tend to go far.

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On returning to the King Power, Barnes was almost immediately thrown into the Premier League fray and in just as fast fashion began to hold his own, starting ten games on the bounce and grabbing the headlines in April with a last-gasp equaliser away to West Ham.

As Brendan Rodgers began to mould a side capable of challenging for the top four, Barnes was making himself increasingly influential within it, striking up a useful understanding with Ben Chilwell down the left hand flank. It is feasible to say that the pair have significantly improved the other’s game.

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It is this season however where his career has really took off.

Following the signing of a five-year deal that keeps him in the East Midlands for the foreseeable future, Barnes has played an integral part in the Foxes sustaining second spot and clearly has an ardent fan in Brendan Rodgers who said after October’s incredible 9-0 trouncing of Southampton: “I think once he has that real belief and personality – because that’s growing all the time – then he’s going to be a big, big player for Leicester and for England.”

It could be said that the first part has already been achieved: Barnes is a ‘big’ player for his club while his personality – ground in hard work and honesty – comes through in every display. Regarding England though, it still remains a case of wait and see. Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Callum Hudson-Odoi are pretty steep competition for a role out wide.

Yet to receive a call-up to one of Gareth Southgate’s squads, his omissions are becoming more acute with every instrumental performance.

After an unexpected stint out of the starting XI as Rodgers briefly experimented with a diamond midfield that allowed Kelechi Iheanacho to play alongside Jamie Vardy up top, Barnes returned to the team on Saturday to assist the latter's opener against Manchester City. That brings his setup haul for the season to five in the Premier League: the best return of any Foxes player and the joint-fifth best return of any Premier League player.

No doubt, there are areas to improve on. Despite showing his scoring prowess with the Baggies and often finding himself in favourable positions, Barnes has only managed the one Premier League goal this season - less than Wilfred Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira, a defensive midfielder and full-back respectively. One only need look at the aforementioned England names, or Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, to recognise how much emphasis is placed on goals from out wide these days.

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But as Rodgers remarks, Barnes has the feel of a player who just needs to grow into himself that little bit more, to find the confidence that turns undoubted technical ability into a ruthless goal threat. Cristiano Ronaldo - perhaps an exaggerated comparison - went through the same steep learning curve at Manchester United.

Aged 22, Barnes has got plenty of time yet to discover it and there are few better nurturing grounds for youthful talent in English football right now than the King Power Stadium, blessed with a vibrant young squad, an attack-minded manager and a history of promising players elevating their game in a Leicester jersey.

If Barnes continues to play a prominent role in Leicester making this season's top four, Gareth Southgate may well just be compelled to include him in England's Euro 2020 plans next summer.