Frank Lampard made a point of leaving the Everton dressing room following Sunday's crucial 2-1 Premier League win at Leicester City to head back onto the pitch and make a personal thank you to the supporters who had helped inspire his players to victory at the King Power Stadium.
There are times when a manager will play to the gallery and bank credit with the fans by milking the adulation that comes back the other way, but Lampard's show of appreciation felt different. It seemed more like a display of gratitude and relief; an acknowledgement that Everton's sudden revival in their fight against relegation -- which sees them now a point clear of 18th-placed Leeds United with one game in hand -- has been sparked, and sustained, by their long-suffering supporters.