Arsene Wenger's Arsenal exit felt like it should have sent the walls of the Emirates crashing down. It was almost a surprise that the Premier League itself did not shake. It felt like a foundation stone had been removed.
His departure has been dealt with. Since May, Arsenal have moved swiftly to appoint Unai Emery, signed a series of players to rebuild the squad and tried to move on from their longest serving manager.
But after 22 years in the Arsenal hotseat, the absence of Wenger still seems strange.
That means it is always a nice moment when one of English football's most respectable characters reappears on the scene following his departure from Arsenal.
On Tuesday, for example, he attended UEFA's annual gathering of coaches, as he used to do before he left.
He has, however, been out and about a number of times over the last few months.
Sportsmail has taken a look at what Wenger has been up to in that time.
Attends charity function (15/05/18)
Just a day after ending his spell as Arsenal manager by beating Huddersfield at the John Smith's Stadium, Wenger flies over to France to take part in a charity function for the Premiers de Cordee.
The event, at the Stade de France, aims to raise help hospitalised children meet their sporting stars and also promotes disability awareness at schools and in businesses.
Wenger goes on holiday to Turkey (29/05/18)
After over two decades at the top of his industry, Wenger finally takes some time out to relax and decides to visit Turkey as he takes a break.
He is snapped enjoying a relaxed lunch in the coastal city of Bodrum with Aganlar Yatch owner Erdem Agan, Cobra Yatch owner Eren Bartu, French singer Jean Bearch and his former colleague at Arsenal, David Dein.
Takes in charity game (12/06/18)
Still, it is difficult to keep Wenger away from football for too long. He puts his hiatus from the game aside to attend a charity match between the France 98 World Cup winning squad and a collection of players from other nations who played internationally at the same time.
While at the U Arena in Nanterre, France, he takes in the adulation of the crowd, posed with Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry and has a nice moment with Marcel Desailly.
World Cup punditry (June-July 2018)
Inevitably, a man with Wenger's knowledge of football is going to be in demand to provide expertise at the World Cup. He was used by BeIN Sports for the tournament in Russia.
While there, he criticised former charge Mesut Ozil for his displays for Germany. After their early exit, Wenger said: 'He played security. I was thinking come on, that is not the real Ozil I know, the guy who can kill.'
The tell-all interview (17/07/2018) (READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE)
It took some time, but eventually Christine Kelly of RTL managed to get Wenger to sit down for an extended interview.
He was open about his life in football and admitted that the biggest regret he had was sticking with Arsenal for so long: 'I'm someone who likes to move around a lot, but I also like a challenge. I've been a prisoner of my own challenge at times.'
Wenger also revealed his love for Bob Marley: 'I love Bob Marley. He's pure class, in a chill kind of way. And his music was surprising for back then. Also, there's something so sad about the fact he died at 35. He loved sport, music… for me Jamaica reminds me of that. Sport and music go together very well I find.'
Visit to Liberia (23-25/08/2018)
What happens when one of your former strikers is elected as president of an African nation? Well, you obviously go and collect the nation's highest honour.
Wenger and fellow veteran manager Claude Le Roy were invited along by newly inaugurated president George Weah to capital city Monrovia to pick up the title of Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption.
While there, he received a hero's welcome and took in a football match — of course — as well as getting the honour for his influence over Weah's early career.
Annual meeting of coaches in Nyon (04/09/2018)
And this is where we last saw Wenger, among fellow coaches at the UEFA forum at their headquarters in Nyon.
It would have been an opportunity for Wenger to finally meet Emery following his appointment at the Emirates, but the new Arsenal manager turned down the opportunity to attend.
He did, however, have a chance to see old foe Jose Mourinho and current Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez at the event on Tuesday.
