Allan made his second start for Manchester City when he played in the Champions League win over AEK Athens on Tuesday night

At one stage on Tuesday night Allan set off down the left-hand side with nowhere to go and facing a wall of AEK Athens defenders. The Brazilian looked up and set off anyway, surging forward with speed, hurdling one challenge and evading two more in a rampaging run that ended when he ran out of pitch.

That contrast perhaps encapsulates the Manchester City winger, who made his second start for the Blues in Tuesday night's Champions League victory over the Greek champions. His full debut came last month in the Carabao Cup win over Norwich City when he registered a goal and an assist, even if it was a raw performance and one where he had some struggles against his full-back.

In midweek the 22-year-old showed glimpses of the talent that prompted City to splash out £34million on a player few outside of South America had heard of. He went close with a first half effort and kept asking questions of his full back, even if he did give the ball away in the build-up to AEK Athens scoring.

So while he is far from the finished article, as you would expect given his age and having only arrived in the summer, the winger displayed a directness and a work rate that has endeared him to supporters in his opening appearances for City.

He has essentially replaced his countryman Savinho, sold to Tottenham this summer after two seasons where he flattered to deceive at the Etihad. It's early days for Allan but he is displaying the determination and desire that the now Spurs man was accused of lacking, attributes that stand the City new boy in good stead for the future.

The winger spoke after the midweek victory of the difficulties in adapting to life in Manchester in what is his first move away from boyhood club Palmeiras. He referenced the language barrier and the weather but in training he's settled well and City will not rush his progress. The recruitment team identified the wideman as the perfect fit for what they were looking for this summer, with scouts having tracked his progress over the past two years, and there is a belief internally that he will grow into an important member of the squad.

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"We were looking for a different type of winger and we knew that Alan could be that player," said Sporting Director Hugo Viana earlier this season. "He is young and needs to adapt and we will give him time to do that. He needs more time because to go from Brazil to the Premier League is a big step."

His initial steps have been positive but the hope is that the journey is just beginning.