Everton fans inside Goodison Park rose to their feet in unison as the 62nd minute of their 0-0 draw with Liverpool came around, and it wasn't just because Idrissa Gueye was about to make his return.
Yes, a lot has been said about the former Paris Saint-Germain player heading back to Merseyside, and finally on transfer deadline day it was announced that he had re-signed with the club he left three years previously. Of course, supporters were keen to show their appreciation for a player they never lost the love and respect for.
But, the man heading off the pitch at that juncture of the game deserved every ounce of that standing ovation too. Tom Davies might not have been as high-key a performer as Alex Iwobi or Amadou Onana alongside him in the latest Merseyside Derby, but he proved without question that there's an important role for him to play in this squad.
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There's a growing sentiment among many that Everton are just waiting for the moment they can introduce Gueye to the midfield from the start, playing alongside Onana and Iwobi to create a high-energy trio capable of taking on anyone. And, that might well be the case.
The 32-year-old has been signed by the Blues for exactly that reason, to improve the midfield. There's little doubt that his arrival at Goodison certainly achieves that goal, and his performance for the last half hour against Liverpool gave fans a tantalising glimpse of what they can expect for the future.
But, where does that leave Davies? Someone who, over the course of the current campaign at the very least, has put in strong performances and seems to be constantly improving and nearing his best levels once again?
Perhaps it doesn't mean that he will start every match. Competition for, as it stands, three places in the side is already very strong with the arrivals of Gueye and James Garner - and that's before you add in the potential returns to full fitness of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan.
However, that doesn't mean Davies isn't vital. Football is all about that friendly fight for a place in the side, that's how everyone keeps to their highest level and manages to grow themselves.
It might feel like he's been around the side for as long as many can remember, but he's still only 24. He's got a lot of room to learn and grow as a player, and perhaps the current system deployed by Frank Lampard will give him the opportunity to do that.
Having previously found success under Carlo Ancelotti in a No.6 role, Davies was instead utilised a bit further up the pitch this weekend and used it to great effect. He showed good energy in hunting down the ball when Liverpool's defence was in possession, played some nice passes and shielded the ball well around the outside of the box and he almost scored with a clever effort that unfortunately bounced off the post.
Putting his side in front in that fashion would have been a just reward for what was a really strong performance for the midfielder. He might have been a little disappointed to be replaced when he was by Lampard, but that should not reflect on his performance in the slightest.
The manager later told his post-match press conference: "I think he's [Davies] a good player. We have got competition in midfield because we need it.
"If we look at squads and benches, you know Liverpool at one moment now can change their full backs in an instant, midfield is generally an area where you want to take control of a game or at least be competitive in a game.
"We've looked at that, I've looked at that, and found it to be an area we really want to improve. I've been really impressed with the first shoots of those improvements and I think we'll see more of that as the younger players - Onana and Garner - develop.
"We've got Gana Gueye and Alex Iwobi playing like a real top level midfielder in my opinion, so it can begin to look like a really strong area for us."
Maybe Davies won't play 38 games this season and dominate the midfield in all of them, but to progress as a side you need people who are versatile and committed enough to step into a competitive area of the pitch when necessary.
The 24-year-old was presented with something of a challenge when playing on Saturday with Gueye waiting on the bench, and he stood up to the task very well. Hopefully he knows that standing ovation was as much for him as it was his returning teammate, because he earned it.
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