Leeds United's mission to return to the Premier League was a drawn-out process, but one made all the sweeter when Marcelo Bielsa eventually did guide them back to the big time.
Having overseen 16 years of hurt, the Whites dusted themselves off from despair to dominate the Championship, and they will seek to do so again at the first time of asking next term.
In that tangled story of promotion, the campaign prior to winning the league they oversaw one of the most painful processes as they lost in the playoff semi-final to Derby County.
Having been embroiled in huge 'spygate' controversy earlier in the year, Frank Lampard led his youthful team from two goals down to set up the final with Aston Villa. The Yorkshire outfit would have to suffer one more year of second-division football.
One of the stars that night, and admittedly that season, was the on-loan midfielder Mason Mount.
Having used his connections with Chelsea to tempt some of their top youth talents on a temporary basis, Lampard's squad was stacked with players pushing for a place in the top flight.
The 24-year-old was handed the platform for his future successes in the Championship, and given they have now returned, Leeds could look to do the same but with one of their own academy stars; Charlie Allen.
Who is Charlie Allen?
Having moved from Northern Ireland at a young age, the 19-year-old offers one of the most creative presences from within that engine room for the Premier League 2 side.
In fact, with two goals and six assists across all competitions this season, his exploits have spearheaded their promotion into Division 1 of the league, as a willing runner and versatile star, much like Mount.
Jim Magilton, the elite performance director for the Irish Football Association, even noted:
"Charlie is one of those boys that you throw him on to the park and go and ask him to play. [He’ll] play anywhere with the same attitude and enthusiasm. Technically very good and physically can handle it – he is quick enough and he has a real chance."
Patrick Van Dort, deputy sports editor for JPIMedia in Northern Ireland, supplemented these claims: "People say he's a dream to coach, a good listener and ticks the boxes you'd expect of someone so highly rated."
Such an ability to sacrifice himself for the side, selfless if it results in the betterment of the squad, is akin to Mount nowadays, who has since played 195 games for Chelsea and even assisted in their Champions League final win. He has played as part of a double pivot, at eight or on the wings, just like Allen this season.
However, his career was forged in the Championship, as he scored 11 goals and recorded six assists across all competitions that year when they narrowly missed out on promotion.
Perhaps Allen could seek to find his own springboard, should he be handed the opportunity, to kickstart a career similar to the England international at Elland Road.