This is what it’s all about.
Shane Long was away from his young family for a week and, when he let it in, he keenly felt those hours and days. The minutes and seconds too.
While the Southampton striker was off in France, scrapping for every ball and chasing down passes he had no right to, his wife, Kayleigh, was at home looking after his daughters, Teigan and Erin.
Long arrived home on Monday afternoon and, after a public reception hosted by Minister of Sport Shane Ross, and some autograph-signing, he was finally reunited with his daughters.
For a man that was officially fouled [in the Uefa stats] eight times and unofficially fouled – including Belgian kicks to the head – another 20 times, Long moved remarkably well to pick up the two dotes.
Long will have two weeks off before heading back to the South of England to prepare for 2016/17.
Whether or not he will stay at Southampton for that season is entirely another matter.
