There are numerous examples of great Manchester United debuts, James Wilson’s two goals against Hull City last night being the latest example – so we had to restrict this top ten to ‘Premier League years’ only.
Yes, since the top flight changed its name. Happy?
Now, on with the great Manchester United debuts flavoured show!
Wayne Rooney v Fenerbahçe S.K., September 2004
A spectacular hat-trick followed immediately after his move from Everton, the first of many to have propelled him dead high up the list of United’s all-time scorers, we’re talking real close to the summit here…
Rooney of course is also well known for [content removed due to legal threat], that overhead kick against City and [content removed due to legal threat].
Federico Macheda v Aston Villa, April 2009
Here is the Italian giving Martin Tyler an orgasm by putting United on course for the title with this dramatic late winner…
He did the same a week or two later against Sunderland. For more information, google it.
Chris Eagles v Everton, April 2007
This strike, if you will, ensured a 4-2 win from two goals down which proved pivotal, if you will, to wresting that year’s title off Chelsea…
Cristiano Ronaldo v Bolton Wanderers, August 2003
Watch everyone’s favourite preening peacock as he dances round defenders, wins a penalty, crosses beautifully for our next inductee to miss a sitter and makes the commentator chuckle as he skins yet another hapless Wanderer following a succession of his then-trademark stepovers…
Ruud van Nistelrooy – Manchester United v Fulham, 2001
Merits mention for not only the following brace against the Cottagers on his Premier League debut but also for scoring on his sort-of-debut-as-well in the Charity Shield against Liverpool the week before.
Here’s a video of all 150 of van Nistelrooy’s goals for Manchester United. It’s fifteen minutes long, but for the purposes of this article you need only watch the first thirty seconds of it…
Others worthy of mention include Paul Scholes, who scored twice on his debut in the League Cup at Port Vale in September 1994 before bagging another against Ipswich Town on his first league appearance, and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who scored six minutes after coming off the bench against Blackburn Rovers in August 1996.
Gabriel Heinze scored on his debut, rare for a defender, and Danny Welbeck did likewise against Stoke City. He’s kind of like a defensive striker.
There you go – five great Manchester United debuts from the last few decades, and four substitutes to boot.
Let us know who we missed, then.