Ollie Watkins charged towards the Aston Villa fans, punching his chest and roaring at the top of his lungs, sliding on his knees before his team-mates engulfed him in front of the travelling support.
How Villa needed it after struggling for over an hour to break down a stubborn Southampton side in a vital win in this jam-packed battle for the top five Champions League places but, more than anything, how Watkins needed it.
A niggling knee injury and the arrival of Marcus Rashford has seen Watkins spend most of his time in recent weeks on the bench, most notably for the biggest game in Villa’s modern history, their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.