Wayne Rooney had been dreaming of stepping foot on the Goodison Park pitch in an Everton shirt for some time.
A July Europa League qualifier against Slovakian side Ruzomberok may not quite have been how he imagined it, mind.
A sell-out crowd (part of the stadium was closed) welcomed Everton's prodigal son as he received a rapturous welcome at kick-off.
There was to be no fairytale though as a rusty Rooney faded as the game went on.
It was no surprise given his lack of game time last season and he will be well aware his game is short in some areas.
Rooney got his homecoming underway with the first kick of the game and started centrally as part of a front three, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Kevin Mirallas either side.
He started brightly too, linking up well with fellow new boy Davy Klaassen and showed his passing ability, regularly dropping deep to pick up the ball.
Rooney's first sighter came after 20 minutes as he collected a pass from Leighton Baines before turning his marker and firing wide.
There were unsurprising signs of rustiness though, with Rooney losing possession in midfield moments later before Takac dragged his shot wide.
He then wasted a great chance on the half hour mark, losing his footing inside the six-yard box after fine work from Calvert-Lewin.
And it wasn't just Rooney that started flagging as the first-half went on. Everton's passing became sloppy, they were beaten to first and second balls across the park and Maarten Stekelenburg was even called into action.
Rooney's fortunes didn't improve too much after the break as he struggled for service.
When he did get a touch, the England legend was swarmed by Ruzomberok players before conceding possession.
The introduction of Sandro Ramirez allowed Rooney to drop deeper and he seemed to move further - and further - back as the game went on in a desperate bid to dictate the play.
It worked too with the Spanish striker changing the game in the final half hour.
Should Ronald Koeman get his wish, a target man will arrive before the end of the window and Rooney probably won't be asked to lead the line too often.
On this evidence, he needs to sharpen up and that will only come with more match action, which he will get.
There will be another two matches, the return leg and a pre-season clash with Sevilla, before the opening day visit of Stoke.
With new faces still expected, more will be demanded of Rooney - by his manager, the Goodison faithful and himself - to ensure his homecoming is talked about for the right reasons.