What a difference six months makes. Cut back to July and Sports Direct was scrambling to file its full-year results on the scheduled date – which had already been pushed back – having been upended by an eleventh-hour €674m tax bill from the Belgian authorities.

Then, when underlying EBITDA slid 6% to £287.8m, Ashley admitted he “regretted” buying beleaguered department store House of Fraser.

Today, the retailer’s interim results make for very different reading, with underlying group EBITDA rising 21.8% to £181.2m, or up 15.1% stripping out currency fluctuations and acquisitions.