The Aston Villa midfielder reminded everyone what he can do with his latest cameo performance.
Time and again this season, Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has relied on the same players in key positions, and that tactic has worked wonders with the club pushing hard for a promotion place heading into the new year.
The problem is, injuries and suspensions almost invariably strike and, even with Conor Hourihane and Glenn Whelan continuing to feature in the hear of Villa’s midfield, there will be times when they need something different.
So it proved on Friday, with Villa trailing to an early Leeds goal and their starting XI failing to break down a resilient Whites back-line with time running out.
Step forward Henri Lansbury, who had not savoured a single minute of Championship action since September, but whose 71st-minute strike (just six minutes after coming off the bench) was enough to give Villa a share of the points and prevent Leeds from closing the gap in the hunt for a promotion place.
Lansbury’s contribution showed that, no matter how little football you have played, a defining moment can come at any time, and Villa fans can expect to see more of the 27-year-old in the weeks ahead.
The matches come thick and fast over the festive period and Villa will need their entire squad to ensure they are still in a good position in early 2018.
Lansbury may have fallen out of favour but, as Alan Hutton has already proved, that can be little more than a blip if you are ready to knuckle down and contribute when called upon.
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