Dylan Vente expressed his delight with "a perfect start" to the new season after netting a hat-trick in Hibernian's resounding 5-0 victory over Elgin City.
The Dutch striker's treble laid the groundwork for newly-appointed manager David Gray to begin his permanent tenure with a convincing win in the opening round of the Premier Sports Cup group-stage fixtures.
New defender Marvin Ekpiteta and winger Martin Boyle also found the back of the net.
"A 5-0 win for the team and three goals for myself, it's an ideal start to the season for me," Vente told Hibs TV.
"Scoring a hat-trick is always a great feeling. The entire team fought hard for each other, and when we lost possession, everyone reacted quickly, which is crucial in matches like this.
“We responded well, and it was good to build on a positive pre-season."
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Hibernian will host Championship side Queen's Park in their next match on Tuesday evening.
"The challenge now is to build on this performance," said Vente.
"We have another game coming up quickly on Tuesday. It's been a while since we've played at Easter Road, with the holidays and pre-season in between, so it will be great to be back home, and hopefully, we can secure another victory."
