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"I was quite surprised I was playing there, to be honest, in such a big game!" Luke Shaw wasn't the only one who didn't expect he'd be at centre-back for Manchester United in the derby with Manchester City on Saturday.
He'd played that role in three of United's previous four games but against the defending Premier League champions, with the division's top scorer up front, there was some shock he'd been selected to partner Raphael Varane ahead of World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez or club captain Harry Maguire.
Even Erik ten Hag admitted afterwards it was a "big decision" - but it was one which ultimately paid off for United, with Erling Haaland shackled and Shaw's significant development over the course of this season underlined.
Shaw was dropped after United's nightmare start to the campaign, benched for eight games after the humiliation at Brentford. But through a combination of honest self-assessment, hard work on the training ground and a manager eager to rebuild his confidence and maximise his assets, the defender has returned to the team and is now a key figure.
Against City, Shaw looked comfortable with his task. He was the game's top clearance-maker, won two of his three aerial duels and wasn't at fault for the goal. His determination to stay focused was clearly visible in his mannerisms and the way he tried to gee-up the players around him and his 94th-minute intervention to prevent a Jack Grealish cross reaching Haaland summed that up.