THERE was a time, not so long ago, when Danny Graham was the goal-scoring prince of South Wales.
As the figurehead of Swansea City's attack during the 2011-12 campaign, his 14 goals fired the new kids on the Premier League block to 11th on their top-flight debut.
Graham was a match-winner against both Liverpool and Arsenal, his trademark celebration becoming synonymous with the Swans' meteoric rise to the top of the English game.
Yet when he returns to the Liberty Stadium with Hull City for the first time on Monday, the 28-year-old must wonder where it has all gone wrong.
Since leaving the Swans to sign for Sunderland in a £5.5m deal in January, Graham's fortunes have nosedived spectacularly.
After failing to score in 13 appearances for the Black Cats, the drought is still to meet its maker during another 13 games on loan with the Tigers. Graham's last goal, in fact, came in Swansea colours, all the way back on January 9. Spanning three clubs, the barren patch now stands at 30 games and counting.
A first reunion at the Liberty Stadium offers context for Graham's troubles through much of 2013.
Where Swansea fans will expect to welcome back the efficient predator that flew the nest in January, the travelling supporters have grown accustomed to seeing a number nine visibly drained of all confidence.
City boss Steve Bruce must decide whether to give Graham another chance against his former club after an ineffective performance at Arsenal on Wednesday, but warned his centre forward there is no quick fix.
"One thing that you can't deny in the Premier League is that the spotlight is always on you. For Danny going back to his old team, I'm sure that will be the case," said Bruce.
"You have to say that this year has not been the one he would have wanted. He'll know that better than anyone.
"The only person that can help him get through it is Danny and he has to stick with it mentally.
"All strikers have these spells. I can remember the greatest striker England has seen in the last few years, Alan Shearer, having a bad time before Euro 96. It can happen to the very best.
"The key is staying with it and working your way back up. That's not easy but there's no magic wand anyone can wave. The Premier League is so unforgiving it's frightening but he's done it here before."
The Liberty Stadium, home for 18 months, would be the perfect place for Graham to finally cast the monkey from his back, yet the natural end to his troubles appears further away than ever on current form.
While his opening games on loan with City saw the Gateshead-born striker causing problems for team-mates to exploit, his imprint left on recent outings has been significantly eclipsed by strike partner Yannick Sagbo. A knee injury, suffered in the 2-1 loss at Everton, hardly helped matters, but Bruce can see the toll of a long drought.
"This run he's on has affected him, I think that's there for all to see. You ask any goalscorer and they'll tell you they're at their best when they're full of confidence.
"We see Danny in training every day and he's a wonderful, naturally-good finisher. It's instinctive. He's a nice clean striker of the ball and he puts them away more often than not.
"But it's like any walk of life, you have to keep going. You pick yourself up and work hard.
"That's all he can do and hope that it turns around."
Graham's past makes his current run all the harder to fathom. At Carlisle, Watford and Swansea, he enjoyed five consecutive seasons in double figures, even proving himself at the highest level. His 12 Premier League goals made him the third highest scoring Englishman in the 2011-12 Premier League behind Wayne Rooney and Grant Holt.
If a chance does come at the Liberty Stadium on Monday, he will also have a point to prove to Swansea boss Michael Laudrup.
Graham's fall from grace coincided with Brendan Rodgers' departure in the summer of 2012, with the replacement seemingly unconvinced and holding an understandable preference for Spanish striker Michu.
Still Graham managed to score seven goals last season, including four in consecutive games around the turn of the year, before pushing for a move to Sunderland and passing up the chance to be a League Cup final winner against Bradford at Wembley.
Graham has previously insisted he has no regrets over leaving Swansea, but his return to the Liberty Stadium will clearly not be in the happy circumstances he would wish for.
"I've seen it happen to lots of players," added Bruce. "We felt bringing Danny from Sunderland to Hull might have done him the world of good and I thought he started off here very well.
"He had a few chances early on and, who knows, if he'd have stuck one away he might have gone on and scored a few.
"That can still happen. He's done it before so why can't he again?
"Swansea know all about what he can do in the Premier League. To score the goals he did there, you must have something about you. I'm sure he'll be desperate to get a goal down there."
