When Hatem Ben Arfa left England in January 2015 his career was in tatters. Having had his Newcastle United contract terminated by the club a few weeks after his disastrous loan spell to Hull City was cut short in December, the French midfielder signed for Nice but was barred from appearing his new club by FIFA and seemed destined to disappear from the radar.
"I am ready to go to the North Pole to play football," he said after being told he could not play for Nice. That wasn't necessary, of course -- all he needed to do was wait patiently and re-sign for Claude Puel's side in the summer.
This season, the results have been breathtaking. Ben Arfa has become one of the best and most enjoyable players to watch in Ligue 1. Never before has he been as consistent and dedicated as this term, and the numbers speak for themselves. The 29-year-old has scored 16 goals already -- more than in all his four seasons at Lyon combined, much more than in his two seasons at Marseille combined, and even more than in all of his five seasons in the Premier League put together.
Add in four assists and Ben Arfa has been directly responsible for 20 of the 50 goals Nice have scored this season, but his contribution is even more significant than that.
His outrageous skills have made Nice one of the top clubs in France, fighting it out for the historic Champions League qualification and playing eye-catching football along the way.
It is simply impossible to mention all of his spectacular moments this season, the last of which arrived on Sunday when Ben Arfa scored the first hat trick of his career in the crucial 3-0 win over Rennes. (The third goal reminded of his incredible slaloming run for Newcastle against Bolton, four years previously almost to the date.) But the highlights -- whether it is the magical solo run in the 4-1 win at St Etienne in September or his making fun of the Caen defence to score a goal worthy of Lionel Messi in August -- have been something to watch.
The irony is that, while Nice rise, Newcastle are set to be relegated to the Championship and Hull also went down last season. But Ben Arfa's story could have been very different if had stayed at Lyon to work under Puel in 2008.
Just as Puel was named as Alain Perrin's replacement, the winger was on his way out. The breakup between the club and player was ugly in the extreme, and the new coach was helpless to prevent it. Ben Arfa reportedly did not get on with most of his teammates, most notably Karim Benzema, and upon leaving for Marseille accused Lyon of not paying bonuses as promised. Amusingly, the club responded by reminding him that he had forgotten a cheque for €90,000 in his locker.
But Puel's time at Lyon was not happy either. He had arrived at a club that had won seven Ligue 1 titles in a row and was unable to continue the success -- despite reaching the Champions League semifinals in 2010 -- eventually being sacked in 2011, a year before his contract was supposed to expire.
In retrospect, both player and coach must regret that they did not have a chance to work at Lyon together. Ben Arfa might not have realised that until recently, as he spent long and disappointing seasons at Marseille and Newcastle, feeling underrated and misunderstood. But Puel has always admired his talents, which is why he was so quick to offer Ben Arfa a contract at Nice as soon as he was shown the door at St James' Park.
Ben Arfa, who has been given a free role behind the strikers, has flourished to the extent that national coach Didier Deschamps is under serious pressure to call him up for France ahead of Euro 2016.
Deschamps failed to tame Ben Arfa when the two were together at Marseille in the 2009-10 season, and the player left under a cloud after a bust-up with his coach. Yet, with growing clamour for the midfielder to make the French squad this summer, Deschamps would do well to ask Puel how he became the first one to solve the Ben Arfa puzzle.
"Hatem arrived to us more mature than he was previously," Puel told So Foot magazine. "He wanted to make a comeback, and thus he became a good listener, ready to improve and have some reflection on his play. When we met, we made sure that it will be a win-win situation for all involved.
"From the very start, I told him that he should not be content with one or two flashes per game. I wanted him to play positionally and defend as well. He has made significant progress when playing without the ball.
"For a long time, he has been typecast as a player who is capable of dribbling six or seven players, but being a genius isn't enough. His skills has been compared to Messi, but Messi is able to pass the ball and play with stability. He is a team player. Hatem couldn't do that in the past."
Both Ben Arfa and Puel left Lyon in unpleasant circumstances, so will have the required motivation to achieve a sensational result against their old team when they clash in Ligue 1 on Friday. The Southerners only trail their opponents by two points, and a win will see them move up into second place at their rivals' expense.
Rumours about a possible summer transfer for Nice's gem are published on daily basis, with Paris Saint-Germain and even Real Madrid mentioned as potential suitors, but if Nice qualify for the Champions League then it will be much easier for Ben Arfa to resist temptation to move again and stay with the only coach who understands him.
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