When Notts County announced the signing of 24-year-old Ruben Rodrigues back in 2020, many could not have predicted the impact he would have on the football club.
But at the time of his arrival, Magpies fans were forced to watch their newest star through screens as the Coronavirus outbreak gripped the world and forced the beautiful game to be played behind closed doors.
Moving to a new country in the middle of a pandemic, it meant saying goodbye to his family and not knowing when he would see them again.
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However, this weekend's National League fixture with Scunthorpe United aims to bring families together, with their Community Day offering discounted tickets to come and watch Luke Williams' side in action.
With the help of the club's charitable arm, Notts County Foundation, 1,000 tickets have been donated to those within the local community to come to Meadow Lane - with plenty on offer for those in attendance along with the football.
The family fun zone will offer an array of activities for supporters to enjoy, including free activities that include access to the Nottingham Padel Centre, a climbing wall, a penalty shootout, and goodie bags available between 12pm and 2pm.
After Community Day was forced to postpone during the Coronavirus pandemic, it returned in March of last year and was greeted with huge success after a three-year absence - with Rodrigues reiterating the importance of the event and how the initiative differed from his time in Holland with Den Bosch.
"It's very important, for myself I have seen the community as well and what the Notts County Foundation do behind the scenes, and it's nice to highlight them and put them in the spotlight.
"I didn't get free tickets, but it is a really good thing, unfortunately, they are more focused on who they have as fans and sponsors and that is what they spend time on and I think the way England does it is to focus and spend time on everybody and it's a beautiful thing.
"If you are not already a Notts County fan, I am sure after Saturday they will have a bigger fanbase because of the excitement that we play with.
"When I was growing up I wanted to be a professional footballer and then when you see it live in the flesh it is so much different, and then for some reason, you get attached to one player and you fall in love with that player and then the team, and I hope we can make those kids happy."
Having spent almost three years at the club, the 26-year-old has become a pivotal figure in the work the club does within the local community.
Most recently, Rodrigues joined Williams and other squad members for the club's annual Christmas visit to the children's wards at the QMC, handing out gifts and chatting with the kids and their families, while also attending the Christmas party of Good Companions in Clifton - a friendship group for the elderly.
The Notts midfielder has also formed a relationship with the younger supporters of the club, often posing for photos way after the full-time whistle.
"It's a beautiful thing," Rodrigues said. "At Den Bosch, I didn't have special moments where people ask me for my signature.
"I don't know why but I take a little bit longer in the dressing room after the games because I am going home and not doing anything - and then even after all that time inside I still have kids outside waiting for me in the cold, and that makes me feel special.
"The love that they have shown towards me is something I am never going to forget."
Another special moment for the midfielder was welcoming his parents to Meadow Lane in November 2021, being able to watch their son for the first time since arriving in England over a year prior.
The emotional video of the 26-year-old reuniting with his parents would have brought a tear to even the most hardened of Magpies supporters in what must have been one of the most difficult periods in his professional career.
But with travel restrictions eased, his mother and father were able to watch him live as Notts came away 2-0 victors against Solihull Moors.
And Rodrigues is hoping that this weekend his parents can once again be good luck charms, confirming they will be in attendance at Meadow Lane for the clash with Jimmy Dean's side.
"It's a funny thing because my parents are coming over this weekend, and it is not something that I have planned or they have planned on to come for the Community Day.
"Last season when they came we won 2-0 so they are like a lucky charm really and I hope this year they will enjoy it more - we play better football, we are doing better in the league and I am sure they will enjoy the game this season as well."
The club announced that close to 12,000 tickets for this weekend's National League fixture had been sold with it expected to exceed that amount when Saturday comes around.
Having already broken the record in the league for the largest attendance in the fifth tier courtesy of their 'Football for a Fiver' initiative which saw over 16,000 fans through the Meadow Lane turnstiles.
Visitors Scunthorpe have also sold 1,000 tickets for their trip to the East Midlands, with Rodrigues explaining the effect the heightened atmosphere has when he is out on the pitch while highlighting the importance of the fans with just four home games remaining this season.
"It's amazing - playing in front of a big crowd makes me willing to want to give that extra effort and to work harder, so for us as players it is a massive boost.
"I have also seen that Scunthorpe have bought 1,000 tickets as well so that is nice from that point of view.
"It is a massive game for them as well because they are in the relegation zone and they are fighting for something so it is going to be a really big game for both teams.
"It's always different to play at home in front of a special KOP, and the fans have been amazing this season and you can see that with the points this season - not only because of us but because of them as well.
"We just want to give something back to the fans at the end of the season because they deserve it."
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