Joelinton may have been wearing a black ICON baseball cap, but it did not take the youngsters training inside the barn at Newcastle United's training ground long to notice the towering figure taking a seat on the touchline to watch them play.
There was soon a queue of beaming six-year-olds lining up for a photograph with their hero at the end of the session. We have all seen the flags and Hawaiian shirts in the stands on match days, and heard that chant, but these scenes on Monday evening were another timely reminder of Joelinton's newfound popularity.
In reality, there has not been a Newcastle supporter young or old who has not been moved by this redemption story. The man once considered a £40m flop is now the frontrunner to win the club's player of the year award following a remarkable transformation that has mirrored his side's own turnaround under Eddie Howe.
