As a footballer who’s warming up to make his debut, no matter what team you play for, having a decent first game is always your main goal.
Making a good impression for the fans and the coaching staff, setting the bar high for what’s to follow, and creating a personal memory to cherish is always a dream starting point for every player out there.
With most leagues kicking off last week, a busy summer transfer window resulted in a number of debuts over the weekend, with some already proving to be good investments.
Jonathan Woodgate look away, here’s ten 2017/2018 summer transfers who have scored on their debuts.
* Neymar Jr.
The biggest transfer in football history lived up to its hype. With the full range of his technical prowess on show, Neymar managed to have a successful debut, scoring a goal and assisting one as he led PSG to a 3-0 win against EA Guingamp.
* Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal’s record signing had impressed already in pre-season friendlies. However, the Premiership curtain raiser against Leicester is where he had his first real test. Lacazette did not fail to impress, scoring the opener to a 4-3 dramatic Arsenal win to become the quickest ever premier league debut goal scorer, scoring only 94 seconds into his first game for the Gunners.
* Romelu Lukaku
Manchester United’s latest transfer had an amazing debut. After scoring a consolation goal in the UEFA Super Cup; the Belgian beast managed to bag himself a brace as Man United beat West Ham 4-0 in their first game of the season.
* Mohamed Salah
After signing for Liverpool from Roma, the under-rated, one-time Chelsea flop proved his worth, scoring once and earning his team a penalty in their 3-3 season starter against Watford.
* Alvaro Morata
Although he started on the bench for Chelsea, it took Morata only 20 mins to bag himself a goal and an assist on his Premier league debut in a shocking 3-2 loss to Burnley. The Spaniard proved he’s worth more than being a bench-warmer.
* Wayne Rooney
Rooney’s emotional return to the Merseyside could not be any better. Making his second debut for the Toffees, Rooney managed to score Everton’s winning goal against Stoke City. This was 4,869 days after his last goal for Everton before spending 13 years at Old Trafford.
* Lucas Podolski
The German sniper proved his quality at the Japanese league, scoring twice on his debut for new club Vissel. The 32-year old World Cup winner showed that he still has his skills intact as he led his team to a 3-1 win against Ardija.
* Ahmed Hegazi
The Egyptian defender impressed in his first ever Premier league game, as he led West Bromwich Albion to 1-0 win against Bournemouth. Hegazi’s header was enough to win the Throstles their first three points of the season.
* Dani Alves
The Brazilian magician added a 36th title to his impressive career, as he led PSG to win the Trophée des Champions. Alves managed to score an exquisite free kick as well as assisted the winning goal on his PSG debut in a 2-1 win over rivals Monaco.
* Mariano Diaz
The 24-year old Dominican striker started his Lyon career in the best way possible. Scoring two on his debut and a third goal in his second game, Diaz is top of the Ligue 1 top scorers list after two games. Could he be Real Madrid’s one that got away?
