Everton fans warmly welcomed David Moyes with scarves, banners and cheers before kick-off against Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Thursday night.
Moyes briefly entered the pitch moments before the match to greet fans and looked emotional as he sealed his return to the club he left in 2013.
Everton appointed Moyes on Saturday for his second spell in charge just two days after sacking Sean Dyche with the club 16th in the Premier League standings.
He left the Toffees in 2013 to sign a seven-year deal with Manchester United but stayed there for just 10 months and admitted he had long yearned to return to Goodison Park.
Scarves dedicated to the Scot were sold outside the stadium before the start of the match. His face also appeared on a giant screen before the game. This is the 519th game in charge of the club.
His re-election has received a mixed reception, and the nostalgia of his return clashes with others who want the club to go in a different direction.
David Moyes greeted fans as he returned to Everton almost 12 years after leaving
Fans gave him a warm, if somewhat quiet, reception as he walked before kickoff.
An image of his face was shown on a big screen as he prepared for his 519th game in charge.
But, armed with a contract until 2027, Moyes' aim is to steer the team away from the constant relegation fight and back into contenders at the top of the table.
He consistently led Everton to European finals during his first spell between 2002 and 2013, as well as the 2009 FA Cup final.
“I've had other opportunities to consider other jobs, quite a few since I left West Ham,” he said. 'But I always felt that if this job came up (and I didn't expect it to come up, I really didn't) it was too big an opportunity to turn down.
“The club now needs to be pointed in the right direction, putting itself in a place where you are not fighting from below all the time.” I told the players: “I'm not coming here to manage a team that's at the bottom of the league. I'm going to manage a team that's going to fight and challenge.”
“Part of it is: 'You players better come.' I have no doubt that the crowd, the people, Goodison, will play a part. The players have to do their part now and they have to show they can handle it.” .
“I got a message asking me to go to a game before the end of the season with my dad. I thought it would be great to get back to Goodison before (the stadium move).
“You have to remember that my family was very rooted in Everton. My children were small, my dad drank with all the kids on the street! Leaving was terrible because we were very close after 11 years.
'Now I have the opportunity to direct here again. I just have to make sure that when we leave Goodison and close the gate for the last time, we can all walk to the new stadium in the correct position.
Moyes and Everton have been through a lot since he first said goodbye in 2013.
This is not the stable club Moyes knew when he left. Since his departure, they have chewed up and spat out Roberto Martínez, Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benítez, Frank Lampard and Dyche, as well as several interim bosses.
But they are entering a new era as the Friedkin Group's takeover of the club was finalized in December, ending Farhad Moshiri's troubled reign.
And it seems fitting that a man who brought so much joy to Goodison Park in his first reign is prepared to take them out of there, with the Toffees playing their final season before moving to their new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock.