After learning his trade in the lower reaches of the French footballing pyramid, it was at Lorient that Yoane Wissa - who was a goalkeeper when he began playing football as a child - began to make a name for himself.

He established himself in the Ligue 2 club’s first team under former France international Mikael Landreau, following a mid-season move from Angers, but started to realise his full potential under Christophe Pelissier.

In the Covid-disrupted 2019/20 season, Wissa scored 15 league goals and assisted four more from the left wing, as they were crowned champions and promoted to Ligue 1.

Stepping up to the top flight did not come as too much of a chore; he scored 10 goals and assisted another five, as well as making his senior debut for DR Congo.

So, it came as little surprise when he crossed the channel to become a Premier League player, by signing a four-year deal with Brentford in August 2021.

In the Long Read, he revealed the Bees had made their intention to sign him clear more than a year earlier: “The deal was easy to get done during the summer. It was my first choice. Honestly, it’s the dream.”

In his first season, he scored 10 goals - including a bicycle kick in the 7-0 Carabao Cup demolition of Oldham Athletic, a memorable last-minute winner away at West Ham United, and the priceless equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Liverpool.

Wissa added another seven goals in 2022/23, then deputised in attack for Ivan Toney during the first half of 2023/24, before heading off to AFCON with DR Congo, where his nation were beaten by South Africa on penalties in the third-place play-off.

When he returned, he hit his best patch of form in a Brentford shirt, with eight goals and two assists in 15 games helping him to become the Bees’ top scorer.