Richarlison had craved the moment and how it showed as he tearfully embraced friends and family at the end of his match-winning Champions League debut for Tottenham.
The talented 25-year-old had everything he wanted at former club Everton in terms of personal happiness and the adulation of supporters who loved the Brazil striker's heart-on-sleeve approach.
What he did not have however - and was not going to get - was European football's elite stage, and this was his ultimate ambition.
Richarlison won the hearts of Everton fans with his passion and significant contribution as they narrowly escaped relegation last season but in the end he wanted more than the Merseyside club, so often in a state of chaos and transition in recent years, could offer.