Bolton captain Jay-Jay Okocha ended the Premiership last season without a goal at all, yet the birthday boy quickly made his presence felt this time around with a couple either side of half-time to put Wanderers on their way to a heartening 4-1 success over disappointing Charlton Athletic.
The Nigerian skipper also laid on another for Henrik Pedersen, the first of an opening day double for the Dane, while he could have celebrated his 31st birthday with a hat-trick, but for Shaun Bartlett heading another goalbound effort off the line.
Charlton's only consolation was a Kevin Lisbie goal in the 66th minute but apart from that boss Alan Curbishley's expensively assembled squad looked to have some pressing problems to deal with.
Their cause was not helped when captain Matt Holland went off after ten minutes with a knee injury and for most of the game the Addicks found themselves struggling to come up with a defensive formation to help keep out the raiding Trotters.
Both managers sprung something of a surprise by naming two of their summer signings on the subs bench.
Wanderers had the evergreen Les Ferdinand, who was at Leicester last season and Israeli signing from Tel Aviv Maccabi, Tal Ben Haim among their replacements, while Charlton had former PSV Eindhoven winger Dennis Rommedahl and Francis Jeffers a £2.4million buy from Everton, while joining them was defender Talal El Karkouri from Paris St Germain.
However there were starts for some new arrivals, Wanderers having former Newcastle United midfielder Gary Speed and Brazilian defender Julio Cesar in the squad, with Charlton giving a debut to England man Danny Murphy, following his £2.5million move from Liverpool.
Yet it was one of the stars of last season who kicked the season of to a great start for the Wanderers.
Jay-Jay Okocha took only ten minutes to put that right.
The African footballing legend produced one of his trademark free-kicks, a stunning 25-yard shot into the top corner giving Dean Kiely in the Charlton goal absolutely no chance.
It was the start that Wanderers deserved after Kevin Davies went close in the opening minutes, while Bruno N'Gotty also saw his header go narrowly wide a few minutes later.
Okocha was then instrumental in doubling Wanderers' lead on the half hour as he split the Charlton defence wide open with a measured pass to let in Pedersen.
The Dane initially looked as if he had taken the ball too wide, but then cut back to fire an angled shot past Kiely.
Okocha started the second half as he started the first, producing two superb passes that really should have brought better finishes from first Pedersen and then Davies.
So then Okocha decided to do it all himself, helping himself to a second goal and giving the home side a commanding 3-0 lead.
There had looked little danger when the Nigerian picked up the ball wide of the area, 25 yards out, but while Charlton waited for an expectant cross to the back post, Okocha quickly turned and fired in a shot that went in at the near post.
Two minutes after Okocha could have had his treble as he fired in another thundering free-kick, but this time South African striker Shaun Bartlett was stationed at the post to head away the danger.
Charlton's efforts had been limited to a first-half Lisbie effort and a Murphy header, but they finally gained some sort of foothold when Lisbie headed in from close range.
That provoked Charlton to try and shake up things, bringing on Jeffers and Rommedahl for Murphy and Paul Konchesky, yet it only served to galvanise Wanderers and they replied with a fourth goal in the 72nd minute.
Debutant Speed put Pedersen through for the Dane to claim his second with a cool finish past Kiely.
Wanderers then brought on Greek Euro 2004 hero Stelios Giannakopoulos for Kevin Nolan and Les Ferdinand for Davies in the 77th minute, as manager Sam Allardyce took the opportunity to give two of his impressive performers a well-earned rest.
And there could have been a five star finish to the proceedings as Ricardo Gardiner sent a 30-yard piledriver heading for goal, but this time former Republic of Ireland Kiely was equal to the task with an excellent full-length save.