Leo made it five minutes with the reporters before he managed to extricate himself, nodding once more at the cluster of microphones and then turning and walking before anyone could follow up.
McClean found him near the tunnel once Leo got out of the informative crowd.
He came out of nowhere, still in his matchday kit despite the red card sending him to the dressing room for the second half, and wrapped both arms around Leo before the latter had any warning, squeezing with the enthusiasm of a man who had been waiting to do this since the ninetieth minute.
"Can't breathe," Leo said, somewhere inside the embrace.
McClean released him slightly but kept his hands on Leo's shoulders.
"You saved my ass," he said.
Leo shook his head at that.
"That challenge shouldn't have been a red. Everyone in that stadium knows it."
"Still." McClean shrugged, something shifting briefly in his expression.
"My team suffered for it."
