Guardado’s first appearance for Mexico, against Hungary on 12 December 2005, came three months after his debut for Atlas. His rise in that time has been nothing short of meteoric. He may have fulfilled his childhood ambition by making his top-flight debut, but it is the intelligence, nerve and lightning pace he has displayed from that point on that has really got the Mexican football world sitting up and taking notice.

Opposing defenders know all about the flying winger after trying to keep tabs on him. What makes his progress all the more amazing is the fact that instead of patrolling his customary left-wing position, he has had to fill in as a makeshift full-back.