How much of his resurgence has been down to dropping down a division and how much to the continuing mentorship and inspiration of Cardiff boss Dave Jones is open to conjecture.

They certainly share a common bond - and it is perhaps more than a coincidence that both men have come through the most traumatic of experiences in their private lives.

Chopra’s problems surfaced when he and his wife and childhood sweetheart, model Heather Swan, split up – and then Michael checked into rehab in a bid to overcome his personal problems.

The striker’s suffering was something manager Jones could empathise with more than most, having endured the unthinkable nightmare of being falsely accused of abusing youngsters at a time he was employed as a care worker for teenage delinquents.

The case was thrown out in court – but the experience effectively cost the former Everton defender his job as manager of Premier League Southampton. It has also left an indelible bitterness towards the system that allowed him to be named while his maliciously-motivated accusers remain anonymous to this day.

There are also parallels in the way Jones and Chopra have bounced back from adversity. Jones’s recently published autobiography, No Smoke No Fire, chronicles the saga of his suffering at the time of the accusations - and his subsequent renaissance in taking Wolves up into to the Premiership and Cardiff to the 2008 FA Cup final.

I’m not sure how Chopra’s private life has unravelled since revelations about his split with Heather surfaced in the tabloid press just over a year ago. But his problems were certainly instrumental in his initial return to Cardiff on loan last November.

He spent last season yo-yoing between Ninian Park and the Stadium of Light – culminating in an agreement for Cardiff to re-sign him permanently this summer for around £3m.

The deal had already been agreed before the Bluebirds’ last-day nightmare, when a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday cost them a play-off place by the narrowest possible margin – a single goal.

It was another negative experience which increased the bond between Chopra and Jones and ignited a mutual determination to put last season’s disaster behind them.

The result - Cardiff celebrated their move into their spanking new £48m stadium with a 4-0 opening-day win over Scunthorpe, including two goals from Chopra.

Four more in the subsequent games against Blackpool and Plymouth leaves the Geordie goal machine high and dry as the Championship’s top scorer.

And he’s so greedy for goals that he’s set himself a target of 30 for the season – plus of course a return to the Premier League for himself and mentor Jones.

"People might laugh at me saying I have no chance of doing that, but the way I have started this season I believe I can,’’ he told Sky Sports News.

"When I was here the first time a couple of years ago I set myself a target of 20 and I managed to get 22. But I went through a period where I didn't score for 10 or 12 games over the Christmas period.

"Now I feel if I can get around the 15 to 20 mark by January-February I’ll be right on the mark to get my target of 30.”

After seeing his star striker score a hat-trick in Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Plymouth, Jones insisted: “Chopra is back to his best. He’s a superb player and I didn’t want to lose him when he left us to sign for Sunderland.

“But he’s back and bang in form.’’

Bristol City are next in the firing line for Chopra in Sunday’s lunchtime Sky Sports clash. But the game he’ll really be gearing up for comes on September 13 when Cardiff host Newcastle United in another televised game.

With both teams flying – and his former St James’ Park teammate Shola Ameobi hot on his heels in the scoring charts – it’s going to be some confrontation.