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When Loris Karius' career is looked back on in decades to come, it will, unfortunately, be the 2018 Champions League final, in which Liverpool was beaten by Real Madrid in Kyiv, that comes to define it.
On that night, Karius made costly errors and Liverpool lost as a result, with the scenes at the final whistle showing a player whose confidence was shot on the biggest stage. He was a relatively young goalkeeper back then, and was never likely to reach such a showpiece event again.
Seven years later, though, he has slowly been working his way back. Now 32, the German shot-stopper was on loan at Besiktas and Union Berlin, and even spent a short spell at Newcastle United, but now plays for Schalke.
Last season, the seven-time German champion — now very much a fallen giant in the second tier — conceded the most goals in 2. Bundesliga, finishing 14th.
But now, with Karius settled in after arriving in the January transfer window, the club is second in the table on 27 points and is chasing promotion.
That success is based on having the best defensive record in the league, conceding just seven goals in 12 matches, with Karius having been in good form.
Signed by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, he has kept an impressive six clean sheets in those games, which is already two more than the club kept in the entirety of last season, and he has been drawing plaudits for his performances.
"I don't usually pay much attention to statistics, but as a goalkeeper, you always want to keep a clean sheet," Karius said recently.
"I'm playing well and I'm satisfied. I'm having an amazing time. I go to training every day with a smile. I'm grateful to be able to experience this week after week and it's even more wonderful how things are going."
His style has even drawn comparisons to former Schalke player Manuel Neuer.
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"There's no point in comparing us," Karius said. "There's only one like him. He's the best goalkeeper of all time."
But after a period of struggle, Karius appears to have found some form and is enjoying his time. Next season, if things carry on going well, he could be back in the top flight again.
"He gives the team confidence, makes impossible saves, and hardly makes any mistakes," Schalke legend Olaf Thon told Ran.de. "He has experience, and it shows."
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