Seconds after Aston Villa had sealed an automatic spot in the last 16 of the Champions League by defeating Celtic last January, Monchi could not contain his excitement.
There was Villa’s ‘president of football operations’ on the touchline, roaring with delight and pumping his fists as though he had scored the winning goal.
Whether he was beaming for the cameras alongside Villa’s man of the match, or taking a pre-match selfie with fellow senior figures, Monchi was always centre stage on the big European nights.
A matter of months later, Monchi – full name Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo – has exited stage left, the first casualty of Villa’s alarming start to the season.