The sorrow follows Steve Bruce everywhere he goes, the grief all-consuming. To lose one parent is traumatic enough; to lose both in the space of a few weeks is crushing.

For Bruce - whose mother, Sheenagh, died last Friday, just 88 days after his father, Joe, also passed away - football briefly appeared inconsequential. The two constants; the two biggest inspirations in his life have gone, cruelly taken from him, one after another.

But he is back at work, taking training as usual this week, preparing his Aston Villa team for the most important game of his reign, Saturday's play-off semi-final at Middlesbrough.

It has been a relief to be around the players and coaching staff again, a welcome distraction from mourning. Life must go on and, as his wife Janet has reminded him, football is his life.

“There is no question it’s difficult to be preparing for a game of football, that’s for sure,” said Bruce, his voice already cracking with emotion.

“Only those who have lost their parents will know what it is like. It is horrific, it is hard and it breaks your heart, it really does.

“To lose my dad in February, just days after my mum had a huge stroke... it has, without a doubt, been the toughest period of my life. You know, I’m not one of these where football is everything in my life. It never has been and there have always been things that are more important to me.