Club colours are a part of a supporter’s identity. Whether it is the blue and black of Inter, the red and blue of Barcelona or the white, yellow and blue of Leeds United, they are what separate your club from the rest.And if it had not been for one Leeds fan proudly wearing theirs, an intercontinental manhunt picked up by newspapers and broadcasters, bound by the anxiety of a family, would have gone on a little bit longer.The supporter in question was a British national sat inside Kælderkold Craft Beer Bar on holiday in Barcelona. The fan, a police officer in his day job, was wearing a yellow United away shirt when a second man recognised the club crest on his chest and gave him a Leeds salute.The salute, a clenched right fist pumped against the heart three times, is a mark of respect and unity across the club’s fanbase. It proved the key moment in discovering Mick Hewitt, a 65-year-old supporter from Leeds, who until that point had been, in the eyes of his family, missing for almost 10 days after setting off for the World Cup.“It’s the best, but most embarrassing finish to this story,” Mick’s brother Gary tells The Athletic.Hewitt had last been seen in the early hours of June 21 in a Barcelona bar. He was making a stop in Spain before flying out to Boston, Massachusetts, to watch England in the World Cup.However, nobody had heard from or seen Mick for eight days when, on June 29, his family finally began raising the alarm, worried for his safety. They had traced CCTV of his June 21 appearance, but they were unsure whether he had even made it to Boston.Mick Hewitt, right, with friends at Elland Road (Gary Hewitt)On June 30, newspapers, websites and regional television began reporting their story. The wider football community worked together to spread the appeal for information as wide as possible.