One by one the heroes of the hour and the ones who carry the club deep in their heart walked out of Wembley and back into a world that, for them, will never quite be the same again.
The power of the FA Cup. Don’t doubt it. It exists and it endures.
Eberechi Eze – the scorer of a winning goal that lit a fire beneath this fabulous final – left the building with the match ball and a smile as wide as the Wembley arch.
Joel Ward – who will leave Crystal Palace after thirteen years and more than 350 appearances this summer – dangled the trophy from his index finger as though it was a carrier bag.