Canadian national team fans of all stripes can find common ground with supporters of Blackburn Rovers over their increasingly impatient wait for the arrival of the Junior Hoilett that has been promised for so long. He's been called a wunderkid, he's been touted for great stardom, he even managed to make Sam Allardyce get his lumpy self on a plane to Brampton to talk the Hoilett clan into signing a long-term deal with Rovers.
But that's all promise, not payoff. He was supposed to breakout last year, but found himself eclipsed by other Blackburn youngsters, including Swede Martin Olsson. While not awesome, Hoilett had been able. But supporters have been waiting for the sparkling match-winner they've been promised.
Maybe he's finally here.
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In the past few weeks we've seen a different Junior Hoilett from last year. He's been more confident, more imposing and more important to Blackburn's efforts. The bulk of his 13 appearances so far this year showed how well he's growing as a player – especially his game-winner-scoring man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup against QPR.
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A strong performance against Liverpool this month again showed that Hoilett is worth of the minutes he's getting. Good timing, too, since Blackburn's recent takeover by the McNugget farmers at Venky's – and the sacking of Sam Allardyce – left the Canadian on shaky ground at Ewood Park.
But Junior earned praise from veteran Blackburn defender Michel Salgado, who says having a player like Hoilett around is "great for the club." More importantly, he's got the support of Rovers' new manager, with Steve Kean saying he believes Hoilett has a bright future with the club.
For Keane, the stutter in Hoilett's development has been a confidence issue. "I think there have been times when he’s played, last season, and things haven’t happened for him early in the game and he’s gone into this shell a little bit," he said, as reported in the Lancashire Telegraph. But Hoilett's current form – and the confidence boost he should get from it – may be a tonic for such youthful woes.
But the club having faith in the young man, and the club waiting around for Hoilett to get start firing on all pistons are two different things. And the recent loan signing of Man City spare part Roque Santa Cruz suggests that Keane isn't keen (see what I did, there?) to leave any question marks up front.
The imposition of a big-money international acting as a road block in Hoilett's path to the starting XI at Rovers could do one of two things: force Junior back into that shell, or spur him on to better performances. Only time will tell, but here's hoping that these latest performances haven't been mere blips. Here's hoping that we're starting to see the real Junior Hoilett.