The last time Jô found the net, Arsenal and Chelsea were battling for first place in the Barclays Premier League, interest rates were at 5 per cent and the full effects of the banking crisis were just coming to light.

That was in September, but Jô joined Everton on loan from Manchester City this month, plundered two goals here and created the other in a self-assured performance that made a mockery of his dispirited and tentative appearances at City, who, before the arrival of Robinho, broke their transfer record in the summer to sign him for £19 million from CSKA Moscow.

David Moyes had planned to integrate him slowly into the side, but needs must and the Everton manager was rewarded for giving him a debut.

A first cap for Brazil at the age of 20 and a record of 30 goals in 53 league games in Russia suggested that Jô is a talented forward who requires time to adjust, but perhaps he needed the warmth and togetherness of Everton rather than the collection of individuals and pressure at City.

Jô said: “It was very frustrating and, psychologically, I was very low because I was not playing. I felt at home from the moment I walked in. The players were really friendly and the spirit was as good as they told me.” Perhaps, no one more so than Phil Neville, who made the clever gesture as captain to hand Jô the ball to score a penalty in stoppage time after Dan Gosling’s cross had hit the hand of Mark Davies.

The forward won a penalty when he was upended by a clumsy challenge from Andy O’Brien — Mikel Arteta converted the spot-kick — and produced a deft touch to bring down a high ball and fire past Jussi Jaaskelainen in one move. Gary Megson, the Bolton Wanderers manager, was at a loss to explain his side’s lack of ambition and passion at Goodison Park. “You can’t defend that,” he said. “If I made up some reasons, I would be slaughtered and rightly so.”

Everton (4-4-1-1): T Howard 6 — A Hibbert 6, P Jagielka 7, J Lescott 7, L Baines 6 (sub: J Yobo, 82min) — D Gosling 6, P Neville 7, M Arteta 7 (sub: A van der Meyde, 86), L Osman 6 — T Cahill 6 (sub: J Rodwell, 77) — Jô 8. Substitutes not used: C Nash, S Castillo, L Jacobsen, J Baxter. Booked: Hibbert. Next: Newcastle (a).

Bolton Wanderers (4-4-2): J Jaaskelainen 5 — A O’Brien 5, G Cahill 5, S Puygrenier 4 (sub: C Basham, 60 6), J Samuel 4 — G Steinsson 5, F Muamba 4 (sub: E Smolarek, 60 4), M Davies 5, M Taylor 5 — K Davies 5, A Makukula 4 (sub: M Riga, 83). Substitutes not used: A Al Habsi, D Shittu, T Obadeyi. Booked: M Davies. Next: West Ham (h).