International football is always brimming with significance and raw emotion.
Just three months ago, Dean Henderson was shattered by the sudden death of his father Dougie at the tender age of 57.
Last week brought another cruel blow when Henderson's close mate and ex-Sheffield United colleague George Baldock passed away unexpectedly at merely 31 years of age.
With such a heavy heart, it's no surprise that Henderson was overwhelmed by emotion in Helsinki on Sunday, as he was awarded his first England start.
His previous encounter wearing the national shirt was when he stepped in as a halftime substitute against Republic of Ireland in a friendly match. Almost four years elapsed before this proud moment arrived, and all through those years of waiting and a stunted stint at Manchester United, who provided a comforting presence?
"My old man," Henderson disclosed after the game at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium.
"Unfortunately, we lost him in the summer. It would have been great for him to be here to watch me tonight. So it has been emotional. I know I've just got to keep doing him proud.
"He didn't miss any games. The journey we went on was phenomenal. And we've just got to keep it continuing."
Now Henderson holds the presence of his kin at career milestones even closer to his heart.
Learning only on the night prior that he would lead between the sticks against Finland, Henderson had to act swiftly to ensure his mum Yvonne and the rest of his family could witness his pivotal moment from the Helsinki stands.
He described: "I had to go all out and get them over here on a [charter] plane. But I did it just because I knew that it was such a big thing for the family. I didn't want them to miss it.
"They were emotional in the stands, I could see that."
The week was particularly poignant for Henderson, who, like many others, was deeply affected by the passing of Baldock.
"I don't even know what to say. I'm lost for words on it. Still numb to this day," Henderson confessed.
"I cannot believe it. I'm still numb. The group of lads we had there and what a big character he was, to lose him and just out of the blue .."
"And obviously wondering, like, Annabel, his poor missus, and everything with the young boy, Brody ... it's such a shame."
Professionally, the past few years have been challenging for Henderson, making his full England debut all the more significant.
He added: "It just shows you can never give up and you've got to bounce back and be resilient. And I'm proud to have done that because there have been difficult times."
His selection has also added another supporter to Lee Carsley's camp in the discussion about Gareth Southgate's permanent successor.
Henderson praised: "He (Carsley) is fantastic. He wants to play, he wants to play with confidence. He wants to control games of football and the boys are buying into that.
"The lads are loving it. And we'll take confidence into the next camp. We've got a big game against Greece and we've just got to go front-footed into that."