It was the moment Albion ’s latest high-profile signing from abroad made his entrance.

Mats Wieffer ran on for his first action of pre-season around the hour mark at QPR after his move from Feyenoord.

His recovery from a thigh injury meant that moment had remained on hold in Japan.

If all goes to plan, Wieffer will go on to become a big player for the Seagulls.

On too as part of a triple substitution went an exciting attacking recruit in Ibrahim Osman.

But the chorus from the 3,000 fans in a packed away end was for the other sub coming on, a man from closer to home who made his entrance at the same time.

Jack Hinshelwood made his return to action after six months away due to a foot injury.

Hinshelwood felt the problem in the 5-2 win at Sheffield United.

He was able to play in the home game which followed, scoring in a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.

But that proved to be the end of his season.

By the time Albion arrived at Tottenham a week later, it was clear his season had been ended.

He had made his breakthrough in the previous months and been a handy source of goals – all three of them coming in home wins.

He had also made his European debut.

But he missed the final 15 games plus the tie with Roma and the rest of the FA Cup and could not wait to be back as soon as pre-season got under way.

Speaking recently in the heat of Tokyo in pre-season, he told The Argus: “It’s been really good. I think sessions have been very intense and high in quality, so it’s been very enjoyable so far.

“The first day it was a nice feeling, just to be back on the grass with the boys and be back out there training.

“It’s been a real pleasure and I’ve definitely missed it, for sure.”

Hinshelwood accepted he should take his time to be ready for this pre-season when there was some suggestion he might return by the end of last term.

He said: “Potentially, but I think it wasn’t the right time to rush anything at that point in the season.

“It was definitely a case of taking my time and making sure I was ready to come back.

“It’s not been a straightforward process, but I feel back and ready to compete again.”

Roberto De Zerbi saw something in Hinshelwood when he was an unknown.

He invited his dad Adam, the former Albion defender, to training the day before the final game of 2022-23 at Aston Villa and said Jack would be making his debut.

So it proved, for the final few minutes of that game.

Back at Villa Park a few months later, Hinshelwood had a tough first start in a midfield who were overpowered in a 6-1 defeat.

But De Zerbi kept faith and found a great niche for Hinshelwood as a full-back who could slot into midfield or get well forward to be a threat at the far post.

The head coach who gave him that big chance has now gone so how is Hinshelwood facing this new situation?

He said: “It’s exciting. I think with a new manager coming in, you get to make those first impressions again and that’s what I’ve been trying to do – make really good first impressions again on the new manager and just doing all I can to be ready for when I’m needed.

“Our style of play doesn’t change.

“We want the ball at all times.

“But I think our intensity and the way we do things is going to be a lot higher.

“We’re going to move the ball with more speed and we’re going to make things happen this year.

“Then when we lose the ball, I think we’re going to be straight after teams.

“We want that ball back at all times.”

Now it is all systems go as part of that new plan.

Hinshelwood was named young player of the year last season and that welcome back clearly showed the way fans think about him.

As the dust settled at Loftus Road, he said: “I was disappointed not to get minutes in Japan but it probably wasn’t the right time.

“Especially with this injury we don’t want to rush things.

“I loved every minute of today and I can’t wait for the next few weeks.”