Cameron Bragg signed an extension to his contract until 2027 earlier in the week and he was rewarded by Southampton's Head Coach with a place on the bench for the trip to Norwich on Saturday.
The ongoing injury to Shea Charles and the time that it has taken to get Oriol Romeu ready to play at this level, has gifted the Scotland Under-21 international the opportunity to break through to the first team a little earlier than even he might have expected.
“It's been mad. I think there's been so much going on from from where I was four, five, 6 weeks ago, to now. I think, if that's not a lesson that things can change pretty quickly either way, then I don't know what would be.“
The young player who Saints fans call one of their own
And the Saints fans have taken 'Braggy' to their hearts as one of their own. Despite being an unused substitute at Watford earlier in the season, he got some minutes for the first team at Blackburn Rovers.
Having travelled up from Leicester at short notice to fill in for a midfield that had been ravaged by illness, he was introduced to the action with barely ten minutes left, the scores at 1-1, and the Saints under pressure. He won't want to remember his contribution to the game for very long.
Within moments of coming on to the pitch at Ewood Park, Bragg failed to properly clear a ball inside his own box and gifted it to a Rovers player to score the winner.
The 20-year-old, who has been with the academy since he was eight years old, was named as a surprise starter in Tonda Eckert's third game as interim manager, away at Charlton Athletic. His performance on his full debut was a revelation for many Saints fans.
Two of 'Braggy's' key attributes might surprise Saints fans
If the youngster's ability to win a tackle wasn't a surprise, then his range of passing would almost certainly have been. His maturity on the ball caught the eye of the thousands that travelled to the Valley and they showed their appreciation after the match as Bragg took the plaudits with considerable humility.
“I think it was unreal and it makes you feel so welcome and so loved and just so hungry to keep producing performances like that for them.“
So far ths season, Bragg has made four Championship appearances including two starts: away at Charlon and at Millwall. He has also played twice in the Carabao Cup this season.
"The extension to Cameron's contract and his emergence into the first team is great testament to everything he commits to his ongoing development," Southampton's director of group talent strategy Andy Goldie told the club website.
"He is the ultimate professional and a fantastic role model for the young talent coming through at Staplewood.
"It has made it that little bit sweeter, being a lifelong Saints fan himself, to see his trajectory in recent weeks, and I'm sure he'll continue to grab the opportunities that come his way over the next 18 months."
Despite losing 2-1 at Norwich City on Saturday, Bragg's performance remains one of the highlights of a fairly bleak Southampton performance.