5 Greatest debuts in Premier League history

Only if Falcao had taken his sitter or if Danny Welbeck had been successful in putting his audacious lob an inch inside the post, they would have become the new heroes to millions of their new followers.Nothing quite moistens the loins like the anticipation of that newly signed superstar taking the field for your team. Thus, the pressure on these highly anticipated debuts are always immense. A great debut goal/performance can go a long way in settling your nerves at the new surroundings.It can help you stake an immediate claim at stardom to the millions that had laid in a pensive anticipation of your first showing. Everybody around the club becomes your new best friend, and if the game was significant enough, you might just have bought yourself free pints for the rest of your life at the pub around the corner.Here are five of the greatest Premier League debuts that we have witnessed in it’s two decade long history:

#6 Honourable Mentions

Alan Smith scored with his first touch of the game in 1998 against Liverpool.

The asterisk (*) shows the team the player was representing.

Alan Smith (Liverpool vs Leeds United*, 1998): A goal on debut at the age of 18 in front of the Kop; propelling his team to memorable 3-1 victory.
Michu (Swansea* vs Queens Park Rangers, 2012): A brace on debut to help the Swans to a 5-0 rout of the Rs.
Robbie Keane (Coventry* vs Derby): Brace in his debut after Coventry had paid £6 million, then a British record for a teenager to Wolves for his services.
Mido (Tottenham* vs Portsmouth): A double strike on debut a 3-1 win over Portsmouth had the Tottenham believing that they had future upfront sorted out.
Mario Stanic (Chelsea* vs West Ham): Not many remember his time at Stamford Bridge. But those who do, certainly remember his debut against West Ham in which his brace helped the blues to a 4-2 win over their cross-town rivals.

#5 Jurgen Klinsmann (Sheffield Wednesday vs Tottenham*, 1994)

Jurgen Klinsmann was probably the most high-profile signingfor Tottenham in their Premier League era. The German World Cup winner certainly didnt take much time to remind ourselves of his pedigree.

The debut was made even more memorable with the Germans theatrics while celebratinghis goal. After receiving heavy press due to his on-field gamesmanship and diving, Klinsmann dived to the floor to celebrate his first goal, mocking the media.

More importantly for Spurs, he would go on to score the winneras the Londoners edged out Sheffield Wednesday 4-3 on the day when Ossie Ardilesdecided to start with five forwards.

#4 Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United* vs Fulham,2001)

Sir Alex Ferguson certainly had an eye for talent. The Scot went back for Van Nistelrooy one year after a club record deal worth18.5millionhad collapsed in 2000due to a recurring knee issue with Dutchman. Sir Alex went as far as keeping in regular touch with the then PSV Eidhovenforward during his recovery process.

One year late, we became witnesses as to why Sir Alex had been so miffed with the Dutchman. Van Nistelrooy oozed class in his debut against Fulham in 2001. He scored a brace in what wasan early exhibition of the Dutchman's classical ability inside the penalty box that we would later come to admire. A new era ofManchester Uniteds number 10 had dawned upon us.

You can catch that memorable game by clickinghere.

#3 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City* vs Swansea, 2011)

Just before Sergio Aguero took his bow in maiden colours, Martin Tyler, who was a commentator in the game exclaimed, If you like Carlos Tevez, you are going to love Sergio Aguero. It took us all of 30 minutes for us to fall in love with the diminutiveArgentinian.

Brought on for the final thirty minutes of Citys opener against Swansea in 2011, the quick-footed Argentina dazzled us with his electrifying turn of paceand a wonderful ability to turn in the swiftest of motions to leave the defenders dumbfounded. He swiveledhis way to two goals and set up another to complete a 4-0 thrashing of the Premier League new boys.

#2 Alan Shearer (Crystal Palace v Blackburn*, 1992)

Read this slowly: 112 goals in 138 games. Take your time and let it go down a little. Yes that was what Alan Shearer did in his four years at Blackburn which included a Premier League winnner’s medal.

Alan Shearer truly announced himself as the Alpha Dog of all English strikers upon his arrival at Ewood Park. He had only scored 23 goals in 118 appearances for Southampton before Kenny Dalglish decided to splash the cash (£3.3million) on the Newcastle born forward.

Shearer’s impact was immediate and profound. He started on his march to greatness on a fateful Saturday at Selhurst Park when he put a brace past the hapless Eagles’ keeper to silence the home fans who had been singing ‘what a waste of money’.

You can see the goals in the 20 and 22 minute mark in the video below.

#1 Fabrizio Ravanelli (Middlesbrough* vs. Liverpool, 1996)

Middlesbrough pulled off a coup in the 1996 when they were able to bag lethal Italian forward Fabrizio Ravanelli. Bryan Robson was able to bring in the forward fondly known as “The white feather” from Italian giants Juventus on a £7 million transfer (which was quite a big amount 18 years back).

Ravanelli certainly didn’t take much time to settle into the English scene and went about repaying Robson’s faith in the Italian from the first game itself. In arguably the best debut performance by anyone in the Premier League, Ravanelli scored a hat-trick to bring the Teesiders back into the game three times in a 3-3 draw against Liverpool at the Riverside Stadium.

Edited by Staff Editor