Marcus Rashford dazzled Old Trafford with his brace against FC Midtjylland. How does his bow compare to other great United debuts – and what happened to them afterwards?
Paul Scholes
Port Vale, Sep 1994
This member of the Class of 92 was still relatively unknown to United fans, having not been part of the FA Youth Cup-winning team of that year, but he made an instant impression two years later on his debut in a League Cup tie at Vale Park, scoring twice. Set the tone for a wonderful career.
What happened next: Just got better
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Blackburn, Aug 1996
United’s greatest supersub started as he meant to go on, taking just six minutes to score against Blackburn on his debut in 1996 – the first of 18 goals he scored in the league that season.
What happened next: A hero for fans, and a deadly striker.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Fulham, Aug 2001
A £19million move from PSV Eindhoven had United fans expecting great things and they were not disappointed. Scored in the Charity Shield against old enemies Liverpool, before netting twice in his first league game, against Fulham.
What happened next: Became a superstar.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Bolton, Aug 2003
No goal for CR7 – or plain Cristiano, as he was known then – on his Manchester United debut, but still produced a scintillating performance that saw him come off the bench and win a crucial penalty.
What happened next: An astonishing career.
Louis Saha
Southampton, Jan 2004
The Frenchman wasted no time in making an impact for his new club when his deflected free-kick gave United the lead against Southampton at Old Trafford. Went on to score 28 goals in 86 games for the club
What happened next: A reasonable, if unspectacular, career at United.
Gabriel Heinze
Bolton, September 2004
The Argentine enjoyed a dream debut, sparkling in a feisty 2-2 draw at Bolton and scoring just before half-time to give his new side the lead.
What happened next: A good career at United until he left in acrimonious circumstances.
Wayne Rooney
Fenerbahce, Sep 2004
Made the kind of debut completely in keeping with his Boy’s Own story, as the teenager scored a breathtaking hat-trick on his first taste of Champions League football. Now closing in on becoming United’s record goalscorer.
What happened next: Became a superstar.
Nick Powell
Wigan, Sep 2012
A graduate from the Crewe Alexandra talent factory, Powell marked his United debut with a long-range thunderbolt at Old Trafford in 2012. Never quite lived up to that promising start and is now farmed out on loan at Hull.
What happened next: Failed to make the grade.
Aston Villa, April 2009
One of the most sensational entrances of any United player in recent years saw Macheda come off the bench to snatch an injury-time winner with a wonderful strike – and all at the age of 17. He did it again in the following game at Sunderland but they were the high points of a frustrating career so far.
What happened next: A let-down.
Alex Buttner
Wigan, Sep 2012
Made his United bow alongside Powell against Wigan and, if anything, had an even better game. Scored once and set up another in the 4-0 win but that was as good as it got for him. Left for Dynamo Moscow in June 2014 and is now at Anderlecht on loan.
What happened next: Struggled badly.
James Wilson
Hull, May 2014
Made his senior debut on the final day of the 2013-14 season and scored twice in beating Hull, sparking suggestions that he was the next big thing to emerge from the club’s academy. Sadly, he has never established himself at Old Trafford, spending time on loan in the Championship.
What happened next: Did not make the grade.
Anthony Martial
Liverpool, Sep 2015
Came to Old Trafford for an eye-watering fee but looked every inch a £35million player when he waltzed through Liverpool’s defence to score in a 3-1 win. Has been a bright spark in a damp squib of a season.
What happened next: Jury’s out – but encouraging.
