Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland

The St Johnstone players provided last season's second-tier winners Dundee United with a guard of honour as the players came out of the tunnel at Tannadice.

As is tradition, the Championship flag was unfurled - though this time in front of empty stands.

Five minutes later and United hit the front on their Premiership return.

Michael Stewart
Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

A fierce shot from Liam Smith is blocked by a raised hand. The home side have an early spot kick.

Tremendous opportunity for Kilmarnock to open the scoring in Leith.

Ross Millen whips in a glorious ball from the right towards three onrushing Killie players. Greg Kiltie, Nicke Kabamba and Rory McKenzie all lunge for it, but none can apply the killer touch.

Big let-off for Hibs.

We're underway across the grounds, let's hope for some goals!

Josh Doig only turned 18 three months ago, but has impressed Hibernian head coach Jack Ross sufficiently to make his competitive debut today. Summer signings Alex Gogic, Drey Wright and Kevin Nisbet are also in line for their bows.

"We introduced a lot of young players into pre-season through necessity and Josh is one of those players who has grabbed his opportunity," Ross tells BBC Radio Scotland. "He’s only just turned 18, he enjoyed a really good spell at loan at Queen’s Park last season and been very impressive through pre-season. He’s athletic, left-sided and technically good.

"The three new signings have been impressive as well and deserve their opportunities today. I’ve been delighted with how they’ve settled in so far.

"We need to be better than last season and seventh place as a club. We should have grander aspirations. We’ve set our own targets in-house and we believe they are achievable."

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin: "I'm delighted. I'm over the moon being back looking forward to a competitive game.

"Hopefully it won't be too long until we get supporters back.

"It's certainly going to be different. The players now need to motivate themselves.

"I needed tried and tested, hence why I brought in Richard Tait, Joe Shaughnessy and Marcus Fraser. They've got a wealth of experience. We've lost a lot of players in the summer."

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is pleased that his side had survived a second half during which they dropped the tempo.

"I thought in the first half we played some outstanding football and, at times in the second half, we had to grind because Aberdeen are never going to make it comfortable for you," he tells Sky Sports.

"We always knew that Derek McInnes is going to get a reaction from them at half time and, at 1-0, Aberdeen are always still in the game.

"But I'm pleased we showed signs that we are capable of staying in there and getting over the line - that's the most important thing."

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The Premiership has two new managers and they go head to head on day one, with Micky Mellon and Callum Davidson pitting their wits against each other at Tannadice.

The Paisley-born Dundee United boss has spent his entire senior career south of the border. A first pick in any fruit & veg XI, he has been top man in the dugout since 2008 and has been in charge at Fleetwood Town, Shrewsbury and Tranmere Rovers.

Davidson is taking his first steps in management but is doing so on very familiar ground, returning to St Johnstone, where his playing days started and ended and where he spent five years as assistant to Tommy Wright, who stood down in May.

"We're desperate to get going," Davidson tells BBC Sportsound. "The noise level was going up in training all week and that's a good sign. It's an exciting young squad."

St Johnstone's last visit to Tannadice was in November 2015, with the Perth side prevailing 2-1.

Defender Lewis Neilson, no relation to the former manager, makes his Dundee United debut and the 17-year-old will have captain Mark Reynolds, almost double his age, in his ear talking him through it.

St Johnstone start with Danny McNamara wide on the right, with fellow loan arrival from Millwall, Isaac Olaofe, on the bench, along with other new arrivals Craig Conway and Shaun Rooney.

Goalkeeper Jak Alnwick and defenders Marcus Fraser, Joe Shaughnessy and Richard Tait all make their St Mirren debuts today against Livingston.

Jack Fitzwater and Alan Forrest make their first competitive appearances for Livi and Lyndon Dykes leads the line for the visitors.

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Hibernian head coach Jack Ross starts all three of his summer signings in the season opener, with Alex Gogic in midfield, Drey Wright deployed at right wing-back and Kevin Nisbet leading the line. The striker's role is particularly important given the absence of last season's top scorer Christian Doidge, who only makes the bench as he battles back from injury. It's a big day too for 18-year-old Josh Doig, the left-back joining the three newcomers in making his competitive debut.

Aaron Tshibola starts for Kilmarnock a day after sealing his return for a third spell at the club. Luke Eastwood is named in goals ahead of fellow new stopper Danny Rogers. Club captain Gary Dicker and striker Eamonn Brophy have been nursing injuries and are on the bench, with Nicke Kabamba the focal point of Alex Dyer's attack. The tall striker will be backed up by Chris Burke, Greg Kiltie and Rory McKenzie.

Image source, SNS

Image source, PA Media

Rangers goalscorer Ryan Kent is delighted to get the Glasgow side's season off to a winning start at a venue where they have faltered previously.

"That was where we did poorly last season - we started games well and finished them poor," he tells Sky Sports. "But we stood up to the challenge today.

"I am trying to better myself in every game. Goals are a big part of a forward’s position and I was delighted to deliver today."

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It's been more than five years since Lawrence Shankland's last appearance in the top flight and he has never scored a Premiership goal. However, much is expected of the 24-year-old, who has come on leaps and bounds since being released by Aberdeen.

He found the net 29 times in 35 games as Dundee United ran away with the Championship last term and was rewarded with two Scotland caps. That was no flash in the pan either, with 34 and 29 goals in his previous two campaigns at Ayr United.

Will the goals keep flowing?

Billy Dodds
Former Aberdeen & Rangers striker on Sportsound

Image source, SNS

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Shaughnessy, McCarthy, Tait, McAllister, Foley, MacPherson, McGrath, Durmus, Obika.

Substitutes: Lyness, Urminsky, Baird, Erhahon, Thorvaldsson, Henderson, Jack, Jamieson, Morias.

Livingston: McCrorie, Devlin, Guthrie, Ambrose, Fitzwater, Taylor-Sinclair, Bartley, Sibbald, Pittman, Forrest, Dykes.

Substitutes: Stryjek, Crawford, Robinson, Kouider-Aïssa, Souda, McMillan, Tiffoney, Hamilton, Pignatiello.

Hibernian: Marciano; McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Wright, Gogic, Allan, Newell, Doig, Boyle, Nisbet.

Substitutes: Dabrowski, McGregor, Gray, Stevenson, Hallberg, Horgan, F Murray, Gullan, Doidge.

Kilmarnock: Eastwood, Millen, Findlay, Broadfoot, Waters, McKenzie, Power, Tshibola, Burke, Kiltie, Kabamba.

Substitutes: Rogers, McGowan, Dicker, Brophy, Whitehall, Rossi, El Makrini, Cameron, Brindley.

Dundee United: Siegrist; Connolly, Reynolds Neilson; L Smith, Butcher, Harkes, Pawlett, Robson; Clark, Shankland.

Substitutes: Deniz, Sporle, Powers, C Smith, Chalmers, Bolton, Glass, Mochrie, Appere.

St Johnstone: Parish; Kerr, Gordon, McCart; McNamara, McCann, Craig, Booth; O'Halloran, Hendry, Wotherspoon.

Substitutes: Sinclair, Duffy, Tanser, Conway, May, Olaofe, Rooney, Ballantyne.