At points last season, while some Leicester City personnel downed their tools, Jordan James was having a one-man competition to be the Foxes' player of the campaign.
Picking up 11 goals and four assists, even as his side succumbed to the Championship drop, the 21-year-old will likely get a raucous reception by the King Power faithful if he returns to play his ex-loan employers sometime down the line.
Ideally, Leicester would have kept a hold of their standout loanee for longer, but relegation down to League One made a move to keep James around near-on impossible, with the Welsh midfielder no doubt a Championship-level player and above.
Russell Martin will hope he can get his hands on his very own James-like talent shortly, as Leicester have been tipped to make a move for this other exciting youngster...
Leicester tipped to make move for Premier League youngster
Just fresh off a formative loan spell with Crewe Alexandra in League Two, Tommi O'Reilly is a hot commodity this summer.
O'Reilly himself would even note that he was "really enjoying" his time with the Railwaymen mid-way through the season, but he will be hoping this stint with Crewe is just one notable chapter of his amazing footballing journey, with lots more to come still.
Indeed, with news filtering through that Aston Villa could soon sell their homegrown talent for around the £1m mark, several League One clubs have been listed as being interested in his services, including Martin and Co.
Developing in Birmingham with Villa, while James played for their sworn enemies in Brum, O'Reilly will be looking to follow in the 21-year-old's footsteps even more if he lines up for the one-time Premier League champions this season, as his impactful displays last campaign at Gresty Road indicate he could be another fan favourite.
He could be the next James
The Birmingham-born playmaker actually beat James last season when looking at their head-to-head numbers.
The obvious caveat here is that O'Reilly was plying his trade in League Two, while his Welsh counterpart excelled in the lower reaches of the Championship.
Still, with seven goals and 12 assists next to his name for Crewe, from 46 appearances, the 22-year-old became a must-have staple of Lee Bell's team, much like James morphed into being a guaranteed name on the teamsheet of Gary Rowett.
Tommi O'Reilly with a sensational volley for @crewealexfc! 👏#EFL | #SkyBetLeagueTwo pic.twitter.com/7MUB0B3LJI
— Sky Bet League Two (@SkyBetLeagueTwo) February 7, 2026
Leicester fans will just have their fingers crossed that O'Reilly can strut his stuff up a division, if a move is agreed, as he does only have one goal contribution next to his name in the third tier previously, when playing for Shrewsbury Town on loan.
Yet, James wasn't without his faults before arriving to the King Power, after an underwhelming stay in France with Rennes saw him collect just two one goal and assist from 25 outings.
You wouldn't have been any wiser that his confidence was on the floor when he arrived to Leicestershire, and with O'Reilly coming his own at Crewe, the expectation will be that he will soar making the step-up.
Capable of playing as a number ten, or as a winger, much like James as well, this could be a stunning deal if a move gets off the ground.
Lauded for his work rate, too, by Bell, with the Welshman also known for running himself into the ground for the cause at the King Power, this has all the makings of being a top-notch deal, as Martin wins his very own James, having just missed out on managing the lively midfielder.
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