With victory assured, Everton manager Moyes took the opportunity to let Grealish enjoy the acclaim of a standing ovation when he was replaced by youngster Harrison Armstrong four minutes into stoppage time.
Grealish, sporting a smile that looked like it might have to be surgically removed and which he sported throughout the game, said: “Brilliant, brilliant day.
“We were saying before the game that we wanted to put on a show for the fans. For the club itself, it was a big day coming into the new stadium. It was the perfect day.
“I think we dedicated that one to all of the fans. It is a pleasure to play for this team in this stadium.”
Grealish was delighted with his assists, saying: “For me, it is just as important. Scoring goals in football is so important, but when I played with Kevin de Bruyne, he was the one I learned so much off in football.
“Assisting is just as good as scoring, in my own opinion. Providing the assist for your team-mates is a special feeling. When I’m here, all I want to do is do good things for this club, and hopefully we can push on and provide more goals and assists.
“I felt really good. It was nice. I don’t want to get into saying I didn’t feel free before [at Manchester City]. Out there I could drift, I could do what I want more or less and play with a bit of freedom, take more risks. I feel like I have done that.”
Everton lost at Leeds in their opening game, so to get off the mark brought relief along with the jubilation.
Moyes was delighted, telling BBC Sport: “That’s what we have been hoping for and waiting for. We want to add that extra quality and that’s what we are trying to do. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack both played exceptionally well. We are thrilled we are adding a bit more quality and we need to score some more goals, which we got.
“We played more like Everton after the game at Leeds United. We had to do the Everton things.”
The sun shone as Everton fans gathered around the stadium after this landmark win, the ideal start and just the tonic after a desperate performance in defeat at Elland Road.
Moyes felt it was maybe “written in the stars” that he would return for a second spell at Everton to lead them into their new home.
He said: “Someone will be standing here interviewing a manager here in 100 years’ time. We’ll be well gone, but we started it off today and I hope that the history of the future will be talked about a lot.”
This was only a start, only one victory – but it was exactly what Everton and Jack Grealish wanted.
