Anthony Gordon returned to the dressing room topless following the end of Everton's pulsating draw with Brentford.
He did so because, on the final whistle, he went straight to the travelling supporters who had sung his name throughout the previous 90 minutes and gave up his shirt. That was a moment of emotion that came after a performance of desire that saw him booked in the last few seconds as he fought to protect a precious point.
His passion has never been in doubt but amid the speculation surrounding his future, critics have lined up to question his quality.
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He answered that in a passage of play which lasted seconds but told a story worth tens of millions of pounds. As Conor Coady, ball at his feet, scanned the pitch before him Gordon had already started his run. That anticipation was the difference. It gave him the headstart needed to gain a yard on the Brentford back line, the time to let the dropping ball bounce under his spell and the freedom of the final third to exploit as he bore down on goal.
His first touch took the ball away from the recovering Mathias Jorgensen and then, with his second, he placed a left-footed shot beyond the reach of David Raya and sparked a minutes-long rendition of Spirit of the Blues in the away end.
With Chelsea's interest in the 21-year-old now having crossed into saga territory pundits, analysts and fans have lined up to offer their views on the sums of money the London outfit appear willing to invest in the starlet from Kirkdale. Many Everton supporters have also looked at the millions on offer and wondered whether the sale of a player who scored four goals in his breakthrough season may benefit a squad in need of investment.
In the swirl of rumours, debate and speculation what few have been willing to do is look beyond the statistics that only tell part of a story. What last season's numbers do not initially reveal is the extent to which Gordon, a bright young attacking spark, emerged into a team bereft of confidence, wrecked by injury and in a relegation death spiral before Frank Lampard wrestled control of the momentum and just - just - led the team to safety.
When Gordon had the Gwladys Street on its feet during that campaign it was more often because of his desire, his passion and his energy in tracking back to help beleaguered defenders and darts forward to relieve pressure on overworked teammates. Gordon sacrificed his personal game for the benefit of the club whose ranks he has risen through. This season, as Lampard and director of football Kevin Thelwell have attempted to lay the foundation for a more resilient side, Gordon has once again been sacrificed. With Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured and Lampard's faith in Salomon Rondon limited, it has been Gordon tasked with leading the forward line. A player who torments full backs with the ball at his feet has instead been asked to challenge centre backs in the air while operating as a 'false nine'.
Despite that, and the allure of Chelsea, Gordon has done nothing to cause Lampard to lose confidence in him.
Asked about this ahead of the trip to Brentford, the Blues boss said: "If I felt he wasn’t right I wouldn’t put him in that situation and if I felt he didn’t want it or didn’t want to train or play for this club, it would be an entirely different conversation and not such a good one so I think it shows you how he is dealing with it."
It is that same attitude and passion that led the travelling Everton fans to drown out the home side's warm-up track Seven Nation Army with their homage to Gordon, sung to the same tune, just before kick-off. That was at the beginning of the game - at the end Gordon was repaying them as he earned that yellow for a desperate tackle that halted a dangerous Brentford counter attack and then returned to the visiting thousands to offer up his shirt.
Gordon should no longer be playing out of position after September 1. Whether that is because the signing of Neal Maupay and return of Calvert-Lewin allows him to return to a more natural position, or because Chelsea find a way to prise him from Goodison Park, remains to be seen.
But in two touches at the Brentford Community Stadium, in his anticipation, control and composure for the opening goal, he perhaps offered a glimpse at why those at Finch Farm are so desperate to retain him and why Thomas Tuchel is considering going north of £50m to secure his services - qualities that have been smothered by pragmatism for much of the past 12 months but which have still been identified by the reigning club world champions.
For Everton, Gordon's moment of quality was not enough to secure a valuable three points. For so long it looked as though the Blues may hold on to the lead he had given to them but with six minutes to go Vitaly Janelt prodded in from close range after a corner was flicked into his path. It was a goal that ended a breathtaking match that saw the hosts hit the woodwork three times and force Jordan Pickford into several saves and clearances.
Yoane Wissa missed the biggest opportunity, firing over from yards out after a first half Ivan Toney header hit the far post while Christian Norgaard produced an overhead kick that rebounded off the crossbar in the second half. Cross after cross tested the largely-resolute James Tarkowski, Mason Holgate and Coady but they held firm before the late equaliser, which came after Holgate was forced off.
Everton clearly still have work to do. Lampard has highlighted the need for a number six and with less than a week of the transfer window to go that requirement remains - this was a game in which they struggled to exert control after taking the lead and in which an equaliser felt, to some degree, inevitable. They posed a threat too, however, Gordon and Alex Iwobi drawing saves from Raya and Amadou Onana setting up Demarai Gray with an inch-perfect through ball, only for the attacker to be clawed back into the control of the recovering Ben Mee. Coady and Tarkowski provided a threat through their cross-field vision but the hosts were a constant danger and, after Janelt found the space and time to level, were the side who looked more likely to find a winner.
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