Just 24 hours on from celebrating a win over Spurs in the directors box at Stamford Bridge, John Terry was decked out in Chelsea training wear and on the pitch at the Kingsmeadow Stadium.
The former Blues captain stood arms crossed and with a ball at his feet monitoring the development squad as they warmed up for their clash against Manchester City.
He played his role as the team prepared and walked with his fellow coaches back to the changing rooms, stopping to greet his Manchester City counterparts with a customary smile.
The 41-year-old took his place in the dugout for the entirety of the match but was a quieter figure than Chelsea supporters may have come to expect during his tenure in the Blues first team.
Of course, Andy Myers remains head coach of the development squad while Terry has taken on a part-time consultancy role within the academy. The ex-Aston Villa coach returned to the club earlier in January, after spending time at Cobham throughout the opening stages of the season.
A Chelsea statement read upon his appointment: "John Terry is returning to Cobham to begin a coaching consultancy role at the Chelsea Academy.
"The Blues legend will work with our young players and coaching staff in our youth development programme, sharing the vast experience gained from his 20-year playing career and recent spell as assistant coach at Aston Villa.
"As well as delivering on-field coaching, our former club captain will contribute to coaching discussions with colleagues, mentor academy players and support parent dialogue.
"He will begin the role in a part-time capacity at the start of next month.
"This flexibility is beneficial for both John and the academy, as it allows him to continue to develop his own coaching skills alongside other commitments, while being used optimally within our development programme."
Terry had already been present for another Premier League 2 match against Crystal Palace, which seems to suggest he will have a fairly active matchday role going forward. The trip to Beckenham saw the consultant in regular clothing whereas in his visit to Kingsmeadow, Terry donned personalised kit to show how he is being integrated into the set-up.
While Terry's role will clearly be diverse many will hope that he can have a pertinent impact on any emerging central defenders given his own impressive career.
Against City Xavier Mbuyamba and Josh Brooking formed an impressive partnership in the centre of defence despite James McAtee's 60th minute strike.
The visitors dominated possession and the duo stood at the base of the Blues backline that for the most part withstood the pressure as the development side, like their senior counterparts at the weekend, utilised a back four.
Both have trained with Chelsea's first team this season, and the display was a mature one.
Mbuyamba's performance was particularly reassuring. The Dutch defender joined the Blues from Barcelona in the summer of 2020 and had been labelled 'the next Virgil van Dijk'. A label the youngster was not perturbed by.
He told NOS: "I know there is a lot of pressure on me at Chelsea. I come from FC Barcelona, I am talked about a lot and I get the stamp 'the new Virgil van Dijk'. I don't care. I show that I can handle it and be as good as they say."
However, the 20-year-old tore his meniscus in just his second Chelsea training session meaning he was out for eight months.
Mbuyamba finally made his Blues development squad debut in April 2021, and had a slow start to the 2021/22 season.
However, the Dutchman is looking up to full speed now. Where early in the season he looked to be caught on his heels, against Manchester City he was proactive and unafraid to nip in front of the forward to win possession.
Reports emerged this month that Hellas Verona wanted to take Mbuyamba on loan and the way he meshed alongside Brooking will have reassured any scouts of his ability.
However, it's difficult not to wonder how much the impressive partnership could still learn from Terry who is still so young in his role at the club.
