Robbie Keane was all smiles after marking his West Ham United debut with a goal and - more importantly - three Barclays Premier League points at Blackpool.
Keane struck the Hammers' second goal in a 3-1 victory at Bloomfield Road, pouncing on a loose ball inside the penalty area to plant a superb volley into the bottom right-hand corner.
The Republic of Ireland captain's goal capped a fine all-round performance that saw him link encouragingly with new strike partner Frederic Piquionne.
The 30-year-old also struck up an instant rapport with the travelling supporters and markedly ran to the away section after scoring to celebrate with his adoring fans.
"It's always nice as a striker to score on your debut but of course the most important thing was getting the win and we managed that," he told West Ham TV. "Full credit to the lads because Blackpool came at us but we put in a good team effort and we did it and we enjoyed it.
Keane was pleased with the way he linked up with Piquionne, with the two dove-tailing to good effect throughout on a cold and blustery night on the Lancashire coast.
With intelligent movement and deft touches, the pair pulled Blackpool's defence all over the pitch, leading to centre-back Craig Cathcart being replaced at the break by Tangerines manager Ian Holloway.
"We linked up well. He's obviously strong and good in the air, while I like to drop off and play in the holes. I think we can combine quite well. The longer we play together, the better we will get."
Keane was delighted to put smiles on the faces of the 1,200-odd fans who made the long trip up the M1 and M6 to watch their new hero in action.
"I think it's always nice when you go to a new club to have a good relationship with the fans. I'm very lucky that, over the years, I've had a great relationship with them at every club I've been at. You only get a good relationship with the fans if you are good at what you do. I did that tonight, but it was about getting the three points."
While Keane was understandably pleased to show what he could do on his first appearance in claret and blue, but he is experienced enough to know that West Ham have plenty more work to do to safeguard their Barclays Premier League status.
With 17th-placed Birmingham City to visit the Boleyn Ground on Sunday and a trip to West Bromwich Albion to follow on Saturday 12 February, the Dublin-born forward is eyeing maximum points from two vital matches.
"This is just one little step forward to what we want to achieve. It's a good start and it's important that we maintain this now and carry it forward to Sunday's fixture."