Though he brought plenty of joy to Crewe, Norwich and West Ham fans in his playing days, Dean Ashton's time in football will always be tinged with a wistful melancholy.A talented striker who promised to rise up the Premier League and earn a regular spot in the England squad, Ashton never quite managed either. After suffering a broken ankle while on international duty in the summer of 2006, his career was blighted by recurring injury problems. He retired just over three years later, at only 26 years of age.But the former Hammer made the comeback of all comebacks this weekend in Mark Noble's West Ham testimonial. Now in his early thirties and a little chunkier than he used to be, Dean still managed to score an acrobatic overhead volley which sent Upton Park into blissful raptures.
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Look at Dean's face here. Observe his teammates' euphoric reactions. Behold Slaven Bilic's ear-to-ear grin, as he claps like a happy seal in a viral YouTube clip. This is true redemption for Ashton, a moment of fresh elation by which we can remember him as a player.If Dean can return to West Ham and bang in an absolute screamer in front of his jubilant former fans, there's hope for us all. No matter what setbacks we face, no matter what disappointments beset us, each and every one of us is capable of creating a gorgeous, twinkling flash of magic for the benefit of our fellow man.We are all Dean Ashton. Now, if that's not a legitimate epiphany, we don't know what is.