Christian Eriksen scored just over two minutes after his return to the Denmark team on Saturday following a near-fatal heart attack last year, rifling the ball home against the Netherlands to complete a stunning comeback to the national side.
That the Danes lost 4-2 in the friendly in Amsterdam will be a mere footnote as international football welcomed back a player who almost died on the pitch 288 days ago, slumping to the turf at the Parken Stadium during the Euro 2020 clash with Finland.
The 13,790 fans in the crowd at that June 12 match were left wondering if Eriksen would survive following his collapse, much less return to playing again for the national team.
Quick work by medics saved his life that night and he had a device fitted to prevent further heart problems, which ironically ended his career with Italian club Inter Milan as Serie A does not permit players to play with such devices.
Undeterred, the 30-year-old resumed his club career in England, coming on as a substitute for Premier League side Brentford on Feb. 26 before being introduced by the Danes at halftime in Amsterdam for his 110th international appearance.
With the Danes 3-1 down when they returned to the dressing room at the break, Eriksen remained out on the field, going through an intense warm-up in a tracksuit top with the words "For Denmark" emblazoned across the back.
The Amsterdam Arena was a fitting stage for his comeback. It was here that he made his name during a five-year spell at Ajax during which time he went form callow youth to playmaking powerhouse, steeped in the attacking Dutch tradition.
In 2013 he joined Tottenham Hotspur and played in the 2019 Champions League final during seven years at the London club before moving to Inter where he won the Italian title.
His entrance just before the second half began on Saturday prompted loud cheers from both sets of fans, and the midfield maestro wasted no time giving them what they came to see.
Andreas Skov Olsen pulled a ball back across from the right and Eriksen was on hand to rifle it into the net, his first touch in international football since falling to the ground in such worrying fashion last June.
His 37th international goal made it 3-2 and, after his side conceded a fourth, he picked up the ball on the edge of the area before sending a shot thumping off the right-hand post, but the Danes could come no closer.
His work done, Eriksen accepted the applause of the Amsterdam crowd at the final whistle and a new chapter in the national team that few could have expected had begun.