Almost an hour after full-time, as Steven Gerrard spoke to the media, his assistant Gary McAllister walked on to the Villa Park pitch and took some family photographs. Later on, Gerrard did the same.
Both men are multiple winners. Gerrard has won the Champions League. McAllister was part of the Leeds team who won the league title in 1992.
So neither man is exactly short of footballing memories. But still this day meant something. Once the dust had settled on a victory sealed spectacularly late in the game, Gerrard in particular was able to ponder the start of what he hopes will be his second coming as an English football personality of significance.