5 players who were sent off on their full Premier League debut

Playing in the Premier League is a dream many players strive for. Arguably one of the best leagues in the world - what with the competitiveness, the atmosphere, the high wages - it is no wonder then that players look to move to England when they get the chance.

However, things don't always go according to plan for some of these players and they endure a nightmare on their debut. Whether it is losing their cool or simply not getting to grips with the English game, some of them have failed to play the full 90 minutes on their first start in the league.

Here are five players who saw red and were sent off on their full Premier League debut.

---

1) Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)

Suffice it to say that Laurent Koscielny saw it all in his first Premier League game. The Arsenal debutante had been signed from Lorient for close to £9m and a lot was expected of the French centre-back.

However, a humdinger of a clash awaited Arsenal as they traveled to Anfield to take on Liverpool. And the young defender almost saw his season ended by a crunching tackle from Joe Cole (who was also making his Liverpool debut) towards the end of the first half.

Koscielny was stretchered off as Cole was sent off by the referee. But the centre-back did come out for the second half as Arsenal had not made a substitution. The second 45 minutes saw the Gunners first concede before equalising in injury time.

But Koscielny was booked in stoppage time and a second yellow card saw him sent off on debut as both sides finished with 10 men. It did not stop him from becoming one of their best players in seasons to come, though, as he even picked up the captain's armband on occasion.

2) Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur)

Spurs' Serge Aurier (L) is dejected after a red card against West Ham

Ivory Coast right-back Serge Aurier had been linked with a host of clubs ever since his falling out at Paris Saint-Germain. He was sure to leave in the summer of 2017 and a host of clubs were interested in securing his services.

Manchester United were linked but the 24-year-old Ivorian ended up at Tottenham Hotspur as Mauricio Pochettino looked to replace the recently departed Kyle Walker who had moved to Manchester City.

Aurier made his debut as a substitute in a 0-0 draw with Swansea City but he was handed his full debut in the next league game against West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Spurs had taken a 3-0 lead away when Aurier (playing as a right wing-back) first went into the book for a foul in the 64th minute. But that clearly did not deter him from playing at full tilt in defence and just six minutes later he went in hard on Andy Carroll with a mistimed tackle that felled the English striker.

Andy Carroll confronts Aurier after a rash tackle in the London derby

The referee had no choice but to pull out a second yellow card and send him down the tunnel for an early bath. West Ham almost made the man-advantage count but Spurs held on for a 3-2 win in the London derby.

3) Gervinho (Arsenal)

Gervinho was sent off after a fight instigated by Joey Barton (who only escaped with a yellow card)

Nobody quite knew what to make of Gervinho when he was signed by Arsenal for £10.8m. He had helped Lille to the Ligue 1 title with 15 goals in the league but was he really a player of the quality of Arsenal? Arsene Wenger thought so.

However, his Premier League debut was one to forget for the Ivorian forward. The Gunners had traveled to Newcastle - the stadium where they had lost a 4-0 lead as the Tyneside club made it 4-4 in their previous meeting.

It was a scrappy game with neither side grabbing the opener. With 15 minutes to go, Gervinho went down in the box and appealed for a penalty. But the referee did not see anything wrong and allowed to play to go on.

Barton and Gervinho square off after a penalty call was turned down

But midfielder Joey Barton decided to take matters into his own hands and pulled up Gervinho by his shirt to confront him for diving. A scuffle ensued and it ended with Gervinho slapping Barton and the English midfielder dropping to the ground clutching his face.

The referee only booked Barton for his role in the fracas but sent off Gervinho, much to the fury of Arsenal fans and Wenger. The game eventually ended 0-0 but Wenger couldn't use Gervinho for the next three games.

4) Samba Diakite (Queens Park Rangers)

Samba Diakite saw red in the first half itself

Queens Park Rangers have never had a consistent run in the top flight. They are one of England's yo-yo clubs - perennially moving up and down a tier.

2011/12 saw them return to the Premier League after 15 seasons but they were struggling. Flirting with relegation, they faced Fulham in February and had a player making his debut - Mali midfielder Samba Diakite who had arrived from French club Nancy on loan.

His debut couldn't have been any worse. Diakite lasted only 33 minutes, collecting two yellow cards and getting sent off in the process. It was the fifth time a QPR player was sent off at Loftus Road that season.

A foul on Bryan Ruiz saw Diakite receive his marching orders and Fulham eventually won the game 1-0 thanks to a goal from Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Barton had even taken to Twitter to complain about the number of times QPR players were sent off at home.

No matter what, playing with 10 men for 60 odd mins every home game is very difficult. Really frustrating. All need to stick together.

— Joey Barton (@Joey7Barton) February 25, 2012

5) Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham)

Kagisho Dikgacoi slaps Scott Parker on his Premier League debut

South African international Kagisho Dikgacoi had actually reached an agreement to join Fulham in August 2009 but he wasn't eligible to play until a work permit came through. It wasn't until October that he was allowed to make his Premier League debut with the Cottagers.

A trip to Upton Park awaited Dikgacoi but he wouldn't play the full 90 minutes of the game. An off-the-ball incident with Scott Parker saw the midfielder lose his cool and push Parker away with a hand to his face.

Referee Phil Dowd initially showed both players a yellow card before he consulted his linesman. After a brief discussion, Dowd dismissed Dikgacoi and the player trudged off the field.

Fulham led the game until the 92nd minute when Junior Stanislas saw his strike deflected to give the Hammers a late equaliser and their first point at home that season.