For Moises Caicedo (and also Ferguson), it was a warm night at Cardiff City
And, for Alexis Mac Allister and Viktor Gyokeres, it was a home tie against Portsmouth behind closed doors.
The second round of the League Cup has been a low-key landmark occasion for some big names in recent years.
Mitoma was given his first start in English football on a trip to the Gloucestershire countryside three years ago a 3-0 win was capped by Ferguson’s first goal on his full debut.
Caicedo’s debut came in a 2-0 win at Cardiff City at this stage in 2021, as did Ferguson’s as a sub.
Mac Allister and Gyokeres both scored their first goals in English football when Pompey visited an empty Amex in 2020.
Diego Coppola and Olivier Boscagli are rather more experienced than any of that quintet.
But the second round of the Carabao Cup looks like being their launchpad with Fabian Hurzeler making it pretty clear both will start at Oxford United.
Boscagli has known since last summer he would in all likelihood be heading this way so would have had his eye on what he might expect in the Prem.
He is very experienced, most recently in helping PSV to an extraordinary Eredivisie title, and Coppola also has a lot of games under his belt with Verona as well as making a senior Italy debut.
So, as they prepared to face Championship opponents, Hurzeler was asked how the adaptation period will be for them.
The Seagulls head coach told The Argus: “For every player it's an adaptation, for sure.
“Some players will adapt the quicker than others regarding their profile.
“If you are a physical player, I think it's more easy for you to adapt to the Premier League.
“But, like you said, they have a lot of experience, they played several games for their previous clubs.
“So I'm sure that they don't need that long to adapt.”
Boscagli was keen to join [Albion](https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/albion/) last year but PSV made it clear he was going nowhere at that time.
He knuckled down to a triumphant final season at PSV and has revealed he was assured at times by Albion that he was still in their plans.
Hurzeler, himself, did not keep in touch but was delighted to see how the season went.
He said: “I think it's always important that when a player is still playing for a club that you keep him focused on his club and I think that we shouldn't distract him from any other issues.
“Of course, you follow it. So I followed how he played.
“I followed his season. I was very pleased that they won the title, so he came here with a very positive feeling.
“He's a mature player and I'm sure that he will help us.”
Boscagli has images of trophies he won at PSV on his arm as a reminder of his great times in Eindhoven.
He could be part of a back-line with a very Dutch flavour if, as seems possible, Ferdi Kadioglu and Joel Velltman are at full-back.
While Boscagli is Monegasgue, he spent several years in the Netherlands while Coppola’s mum is Dutch.
Another full-back option could be Charlie Tasker.
The Brighton boy has been around the first-team squad and seemed to delight away fans with his efforts in the friendly at Southampton.
A place in the third round is the collective target but there is also the goal of forcing a way into the first team.
That seems to apply as much as anyone to Coppola and Boscagli.
Hurzeler said: “Of course there will be some changes regarding the players who will start, but it's also a chance for these players to show themselves, to show that there's a lot of competition in this squad, so we take it very seriously.”