AFTER two interminably dark years forced Paul McShane to contemplate retirement from football, along came his magical moment in the sun on Saturday afternoon.
As Hull City pressed for the goal that would seal promotion to the Premier League soon after the hour mark, Robbie Brady's teasing corner into the Cardiff box was there to be attacked.
McShane was the man to steal in ahead of his defender and convert a side-foot finish and triggered all-out pandemonium at the KC Stadium. Rarely had a goal been celebrated quite like the one that gave Steve Bruce's men a 2-1 lead.
Only two injury-time penalties, one missed by Nick Proschwitz and one converted by Nicky Maynard, diluted McShane's heroics, but once promotion was finally confirmed with Watford beaten 2-1 by Leeds, there was little question whose face would adorn the back pages of every Sunday newspaper.
McShane has become a poster boy for what is arguably City's greatest season and can look forward to the imminent offer of a contract extension from manager Steve Bruce.
But as the 27-year-old revealed after celebrating promotion with the Tigers, things almost turned out very differently.
"I was really contemplating (retirement), just getting in my car, getting on the boat and going back to Ireland because it was just wall after wall that I kept hitting.
"I was giving my all so I could hold my head up and I just want to keep looking forward.
"You can train every day at your hardest and not even be considered, which is very frustrating.
"Some people at the club wouldn't talk to me at one stage because I was deemed as a bad egg or something because I wasn't playing.
"But I kept going and that's what you've got to keep doing, for yourself more than anything."
A series of snubs from Bruce's predecessors Nigel Pearson and Nick Barmby had McShane farmed out on loan at Barnsley and Crystal Palace, but 29 appearances this term have elevated the defender to new heights at the KC.
"Going out on loan was cruel and I thought it was unjustified really because I was giving everything to the team and training well and every time I did play I thought I played well and the fans had faith in me," he added.
"At the time I was very angry but I've put those days behind me and you've got to make peace with the past to go forward.
"I did that at the start of the season and had a clean slate with the gaffer and I just want to look forward."
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McShane's road to redemption is an uplifting sub-plot to a City fairytale that found its dramatic conclusion on Saturday.
Needing a win over Cardiff to secure the second automatic promotion slot on the final day of the season, the Tigers had to settle for a 2-2 draw when Maynard's penalty overshadowed a fight-back led by goals from Proschwitz and McShane.
An agonising wait followed due to lengthy stoppages during Watford's clash with Leeds, but Ross McCormack's winner finally started an unforgettable party.
On his goal, McShane said: "It was great. I just tried to get something on it.
"I was just concentrating on getting everything on it and I read where it dropped and it fell right on to my foot. I got a touch on it and it went in.
"We've done brilliantly to get back up in the space of three years.
"I'm not sure how people did their stuff in the background but the Allams have come in and they've been fantastic for the club, put in a lot of money and kept the club afloat and made some really good signings this year.
"We made hard work of it in the end but deserved it in the long run."
McShane also offered his sympathy to fellow goalscorer Proschwitz.
Although his intelligent finish had quickly cancelled out Fraizer Campbell's opener for Cardiff, the German was forced to endure a torturous wait to learn if his late penalty miss would prove costly.
"His emotions must have been all over the place because he scored the equaliser and then he missed the penalty to really put it to bed but he didn't," said McShane.
"It was just amazing stuff and I can't believe it really."
The awarding of City's penalty, when Ben Turner felled David Meyler, sparked a small pitch invasion and only after a delay did Proschwitz step up.
"It might have put him off a bit and I was trying my best to control about 15,000 fans," added McShane.
"I was trying to get them off the pitch because I knew it wasn't finished.
"All sorts was going through my head there and I was thinking the referee might call the game off or do something mad. Maybe it might have put him off but he missed it and it happens.
"It's a strange old game but we're up now and that's all that matters."
