There was clearly no tears, no protect of honour, no captain's armband and without any game time, but Ellie Owen was eventually presented the standing ovation this individual deserved.
It said as much about how little ended up being riding on Southampton's final-day go through with Stoke City because it did about Owen that this biggest reaction of the match came when he typed in and left the field during the last time as a specialist.
Nevertheless, that could not get rid of the fact that, for a pair of fleeting moments in the eyes of the 31, 539 at Street Mary's, the 33-year-old was as just stated the 18-year-old who shook the world, with club allegiances put aside to acclaim the man who now that carried the hopes within the nation. In between emerged a 16-minute cameo that served as a reminder of just exactly why Owen has called the idea a day.
One half-chance but nothing to show the predatory instincts of which saw the striker harvest 150 goals in the Premier League and 45 for England.
"The Stoke fans ended up being singing my name right the way in which through the game and, in many ways, I didn't deserve that, " Owen claimed. "I've not contributed a lot of this season to these. And for them to comprehend me and sing doing this, it was pretty wonderful. It was something I'll forever keep in mind.
"Even the Southampton fanatics were fantastic. When I was warmup to come on, the pair were all clapping. So, big as a consequence of everyone. It's been an ideal day.
"It's nice that I've brought some pleasure to many people people and it's certainly been a pleasure using myself. " For a bit, Stoke manager Tony Pulis appeared intent on spoiling Owen's farewell, starting Peter Crouch and additionally even bringing on Cameron Jerome killing the former England star.
That will be a sick joke, rather like one which saw Kenwyne Jones left at home to await further penalty after his brick-throwing response to finding a pig's top of your head in his locker.
But Stoke's fans began baying to get Owen's introduction, with your anarchy that had engulfed the clubhouse in recent days spreading in the stands. The travelling fans let from red smoke bombs inside St Mary's away conclusion before kick-off and tossed another into the Southampton penalty area subsequent to Rickie Lambert put the ball within the net after 32 seconds.
The goal was eliminated for offside and your visitors continued to cycle their luck in time period half dominated by the household side as both club sets chased a 10th-placed finish that is going to have meant a couple more million inside the bank.
A Stoke head made headlines for ones right reasons when Crouch nodded within Geoff Cameron's right-wing cross barely two minutes in to the second half.
But Southampton have been stung into overdrive, Steven Davis along with Lambert wasting glorious chances – thanks and then to great Asmir Begovic goalkeeping – previous to combining to level 10 a matter of minutes later.
Begovic produced another fine stop from Davis, but directly to the feet of Lambert, who showed most of the poaching instincts of Owen around his pomp to fire place home the rebound.
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