Wayne Rooney scored a long-range goal in his first outing since returning to Everton, helping his side to a 2-1 win over Kenyan club Gor Mahia on Thursday afternoon.

The Toffees were made to work hard in their first pre-season outing, netting the winner 10 minutes from time through Kieran Dowell after initially being pegged back by the record 15-time Kenyan champions.

Rooney's goal was undoubtedly the headline act of the match at the National Stadium in Tanzania, however, finding the net for his boyhood club for the first time in 4,839 days and sending a message out to his critics.

The opening half-hour of the contest was low on quality, with neither side able to find any real rhythm to their game at the 60,000-capacity stadium in Dar-es-Salaam.

Rooney was barely able to get a touch of the ball in the final third during the slow start to the contest, but that all changed 35 minutes in when blasting home from all of 30 yards.

The England international, who finalised his switch from Manchester United four days ago, caught out the opposition keeper with a strike that flew into the top corner of the net.

Gor Mahia were level just moments later through the simplest of goals, however, as Jacques Tuyisenge crept in at the front post and nodded past Maarten Stekelenburg in the Everton goal.

Stekelenburg was called into action late in the first half to keep out goalscorer Tuyisenge, though that proved to be a rare save at either end in a relatively flat opening 45 minutes.

Everton boss Ronald Koeman used the interval to make 11 changes to his side, including the arrival of another big-money recruit in Michael Keane.

There was certainly more of an attacking edge about the Premier League outfit early in the second half, as Tom Davies saw a penalty shout turned down and then blasted over the bar from the edge of the area.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was doing more than anyone to drive his side forward, nodding home an hour into the match but seeing his goal ruled out due to an offside infringement in the build-up.

The English youngster then tested sub keeper Peter Odhiambo with a decent attempt down low, before Idrissa Gueye followed in with a well-blocked attempt.

It looked as though the Premier League club would have to settle for a draw but, moments after Gareth Barry struck the bar from a free kick, Dowell netted the winner.

The 19-year-old turned and belted the ball past Odhiambo into the top corner from range after being picked out by fellow academy graduate Davies, meaning a winning start for Everton on their pre-season tour.