Ranking the 5 best Liverpool debuts

With the Premier League season fast approaching, we take a look at the debuts of all the players who joined their new clubs during the summer transfer window. More often than not, the first run of games a new signing plays for his club indicate how he will fare in his new surroundings. All the big-money signings will want to get off to the best possible start for their new clubs and justify their price tags.

One club, in particular, did more business than the rest of their rivals. That club is Liverpool, who splashed the cash during this off-season and significantly strengthened their squad. Marquee signings Naby Keita, Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri will all want to impress from the get-go.

Last season we saw debut goals from the new attacking stars of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United on the opening weekend. However, there will be an extra bit of pressure for the Reds' big buys to start well, mainly because of the amount of money spent on them. If the likes of Alisson, Keita or any other debutant shines in their first game, they would join a pretty illustrious list of players who impressed on debut for Liverpool.

The list ranges from Academy graduates to goalkeepers, to big money signings, all of whom made an excellent first impression at Anfield. There have been so many excellent Liverpool debuts over the years, that the likes of Luis Suarez and Robbie Fowler, both of whom scored in their first games for the club, could not make this list. Here are five of the most impressive Liverpool debuts in the Premier League era.

#5 Michael Owen (1997)

The former England international was one of the best young players to ever play for Liverpool and his rapid pace and fearsome finishing struck fear in the heart of defences across England. Michael Owen was extremely talented and showed a whole lot of it in the first few years of his footballing career. The 2001 Ballon d'Or winner could never reach the same heights after leaving Liverpool though, as he did at Anfield. Owen, along with Steven Gerrard, was hailed as one of the best youth products in Liverpool history.

His ascension from young talent to global superstar began in May 1997, when the then 17-year-old came on as a substitute with Liverpool trailing 2-0 at Wimbledon. Owen's impact was felt immediately. It took 16 minutes for Michael Owen to score a goal, making him the Reds' youngest ever goalscorer. Owen would consistently produce moments of magic for Liverpool until 2004, when he moved to Real Madrid.

#4 Jordan Rossiter (2014)

Jordan Rossiter is a young midfielder who graduated from Liverpool's Academy as an authoritative central midfield presence with a good eye for a pass. He, unfortunately, did not make his big break count. After a glowing start to his senior playing career, he would go on to have every season ended early due to injury. Rossiter was similar to Steven Gerrard in terms of playing style, and he is currently playing under the former Liverpool captain at Rangers. Under the guidance of the fellow Scouser in Scotland, he can still make it big in British football.

Rossiter was handed his club debut by Brendan Rodgers in the Reds' League Cup third round tie against Middlesbrough at Anfield. It would turn out to be an extremely memorable evening in the life of the former Liverpool youngster as he would become the club's second youngest ever goalscorer, behind the aforementioned Owen. 10 minutes in, Rossiter pounced on a loose ball to slot home from outside the box and make it 1-0 to Liverpool. He enjoyed an effective all-round performance over 120 minutes and even stepped up to convert his penalty in an astonishing shootout that ended 14-13 to the Reds.

#3 Sadio Mane (2016)

Liverpool's Senegalese star is a joy to watch on the pitch and off it. Sadio Mane's humble attitude is what makes him special and he prefers to stay quiet and let the others lead, doing all of his talking on the pitch. He has done that for Liverpool on so many occasions. Mane has scored last-minute derby winners, European hat-tricks and even netted in the Champions League final.

Mane has had a massive impact on Liverpool since day one, when he and his Liverpool teammates rocked North London. The Reds came from a goal behind to lead 3-1 against Arsenal, thanks to the immense efforts of Philippe Coutinho. But the best moment of the match came when Mane received the ball on the right side of the halfway line and proceeded to run with the ball.

With fire in his boots, Sadio Mane raced across the right touchline, cut inside and stunned the entire Emirates Stadium with his weaker foot. It was a tremendous strike from the debutant, and hugely important. Arsenal fought back but Liverpool won the game 4-3.

#2 Mohamed Salah (2017)

Mo Salah has been mightily impressive for Liverpool in the one year he has spent at the club, consistently terrorising defenders. His 44 goals in all competitions were all so valuable to the Merseyside club as they went on a storied run to the Champions League final. The Egyptian winger was nearly unstoppable over the course of the season, producing some stunning football to help his team. Salah also linked up well with the rest of the Reds' potent frontline, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. He, like Mane, did net on his Liverpool debut.

Salah impressed in Liverpool's opening game of the season, away at Watford, creating chances and getting into promising positions. With the Reds trailing 2-1, he made a vital run towards the Watford penalty area and won a spot-kick, which was converted by Firmino. Salah linked up with the Brazilian forward moments later and converted from Firmino's lobbed cross-shot. Liverpool may have ended up drawing 3-3 but all three of their forwards had scored, with Salah looking really impressive. The impact he has made since then has been nothing short of incredible.

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#1 Simon Mignolet (2013)

The Belgian goalkeeper might have endured a difficult and inconsistent spell as Liverpool's number one 'keeper, but his Reds career did get off to a fantastic start. Mignolet joined Liverpool from Sunderland to replace the outgoing Pepe Reina and his first month at Anfield was unbelievable. With the reliable Kolo Toure joining as well, Liverpool looked to move on from the losses of Reina and retiring legend Jamie Carragher. The former Sunderland man kept three clean sheets in his first three league games, including a masterclass of a debut against Stoke City. After Daniel Sturridge scored to make it 1-0, Mignolet was called upon to make some really smart saves to keep Liverpool's lead intact.

However, a Daniel Agger handball gave Stoke a last-minute penalty and a chance to steal an opening day point at Anfield. Mignolet saved Jon Walters' penalty and stopped the rebound from going in as well. After the ball went out of play, the players jumped on him as the Kop roared their approval. This was the best start to a Liverpool career in the Premier League era but it, unfortunately, wouldn't last. Mignolet remains a key figure to have in the team and a great person, but it seems like the time for him to move on has come.

Edited by Arvind Sriram