Good things come to those who wait.
But for Tomas Rosicky the wait has been a horribly disillusioning one.
The Arsenal cult hero is one of those players who has never seemed to shake off his various injuries, ultimately spoiling a brilliant career.
Rosicky barely played for the Gunners in his last few seasons in England, much to the frustration of their fans given his undeniable talent.
But on Sunday that agony would have felt worthwhile after he marked his second Sparta Prague debut with the opening goal against Karvina.
Rosicky returned to his boyhood club at the start of last season but his campaign was ended prematurely when he got injured just 19 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Classic.
But the Czech hero, now 36, is now fully fit and raring to go again with Sparta 17 years after his first start for them.
And, fittingly, his goal – arriving on the edge of the box to slot home – was after 17 minutes too against Karvina.
Rosicky is regarded as one of the greatest players the Czech Republic has ever produced, forging successful careers with Borussia Dortmund as well as Arsenal.
And every footballing romantic will be hoping he gets the send off he deserves back where it all began.