After the Premier League 2 fixtures were released on Thursday, we look at five breakthrough talents from PL2 who the 2017/18 crop can look to emulate.
Mason Holgate (Everton)
Starting the season having never played a single minute of senior football for the club, Mason Holgate ended 2016/17 as a key player for Everton.
The 20-year-old moved to Goodison Park from hometown club Barnsley in 2015 and took his chance to shine in PL2.
🙌 | Started without any #EFC first-team experience... finished with 21 appearances!
— Everton (@Everton) June 6, 2017
Holgate's 2016/17 season 👉 https://t.co/7ZjJOP5o6i. pic.twitter.com/nki4PXP47A
He played 16 times in his debut season and made seven appearances last term, alongside his senior responsibilites, as David Unsworth's side were crowned Division 1 champions.
His Premier League debut came in testing circumstances, playing all 90 minutes in a 1-1 opening-day draw with Tottenham Hotspur after injury had ruled out regular starter Seamus Coleman.
Seventeen further PL appearances would follow, including an impressive display as a wing-back in a 4-0 home win over Manchester City, leading to team-mate Ashley Williams labelling him an "unbelievable talent".
He described a new five-year contract in December as a "whirlwind" moment and ended a breakthrough campaign as part of the England team that reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Under-21 European Championship.