Arzani starred against the Reds in a 1-1 draw, playing a crucial role in Stefan Mauk's goal to secure a point for Joyce's men. 

The 19-year-old also won three fouls and 18 out of 27 duels throughout the match, dismissing a few doubters that he can't perform for an entire match, his coach included. 

"I still think there's more to come. He's obviously an exciting prospect,” Joyce said. "He wants to work, he wants to learn, and I'm pleased for him that he got through 90 minutes. 

"It's a bugbear of his that he couldn't deal with (90 minutes until now) because he puts a lot of work in."

Joyce has drawn criticism for his reluctance to immediately assimilate Arzani - one of Australia's brightest prospects - into the Melbourne City squad.

These problems were highlighted by a perceived lack of match conditioning against Adelaide. Despite performing solidly for the duration, Arzani fell to the pitch on multiple occassions with cramping.

Former Socceroo Mark Bosnich thought it might be nerves.

“Maybe that can happen when you first start to play because you’re dealing with nerves you haven’t faced before and there’s a chemical reaction in the body," Bosnich told Foxsports.

"This boy is a class act and he needs to be nurtured because he’ll be a fantastic asset for Melbourne City and whichever country he chooses to represent.”

If the teenager continues his remarkable improvement this season, Joyce will be vindicated for his decision to make the midfielder earn his appearances.

In terms of youth-coaching pedigree, Joyce's eight years in charge of Manchester United's reserves means he's built a solid reputation on developing some of the finest young players in the world. 

While time will only tell whether Joyce is the right man to develop Arzani, should Melbourne City miss out on the Asian Champions League places this season, his position will come under a lot of scrutiny from the brand-conscious City Football Group.

Meanwhile, there will be no shortage of offers for Arzani, both at domestic and international level.