In literature, the ‘hero’s journey’ is a template for stories that involves a hero at their core. Abridging, it outlines that the hero must begin an adventure, triumph over adversity and, crucially, return home a changed character.
It’s the image of the daring child, packing their bag, traipsing over mountain tops to confront an insurmountable challenge and return as an adult.
In football, it’s the teenage prodigy, lacing their boots, bursting onto the national scene to earn a career-defining move and return ready to become an icon.
READ: Portrait of an Icon: The making of Wilfried Zaha
Wilfried Zaha had graduated from Crystal Palace’s Academy after almost a decade.