Steven Naismith was delighted to make his Everton debut in their 1-1 draw with friendly opponents Motherwell.
Having missed the second half of last season with a knee injury, it was the Scotland international's first game of football since October 2011.
Naismith told evertontv: "It was great to make my debut.
"It made it that extra bit special because I've been out for quite a while and there was the legal stuff to get through.
"But I'm glad that it's all passed now and I can focus on getting my fitness back and staking a claim for the first game of the season.
"I've had a taste of it for the last couple of weeks with the squad. I was dying to get back on the pitch and link up with the boys.
"I had a wee test - 20 minutes or so - and hopefully there's more to come in the coming weeks."