The four Dutchmen to score on their Manchester United debut | OneFootball

Joshua Zirkzee made an instant impact on his Manchester United debut as the forward came off the bench to score the winner against Fulham.

Zirkzee signed for the club from Bologna for a fee of £34m in the summer and wasted no time in making an impression. His finish from Alejandro Garnacho’s cross sealed a 1-0 win over Fulham and ensured the Red Devils began the season with three points.

Zirkzee is the 15th Dutchman to score on his Premier League debut and the fourth to have done so for Manchester United.

The Dutchmen to score on their Manchester United debut:

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Manchester United were made to wait for the signing of Ruud van Nistelrooy after a serious knee injury delayed his transfer to the Premier League from PSV Eindhoven. Van Nistelrooy finally completed his move to the club in 2001 and marked his Premier League bow with a brace in a 3-2 win over Fulham at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman’s double downed the Cottagers and kick-started a prolific first season in English football, as Van Nistelrooy scored 36 goals in all competitions to win the PFA Player of the Year award.

He added the Premier League Player of the Season and Golden Boot the following campaign, after firing Manchester United to the 2002/03 title. Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in just 215 appearances across his five seasons with the Red Devils, cementing his reputation as one of the finest finishers of the Premier League era.

Alexander Buttner

Alexander Buttner arrived from Vitesse Arnhem and looked a shrewd signing after impressing on debut. The left-back scored one and created another in a 4-0 home thrashing of Wigan Athletic, but was unable to build on that bright start.

Buttner won the Premier League title during his first season in the Premier League, though struggled to dislodge Patrice Evra from the side. He made just 28 appearances across two seasons before departing for Dinamo Moscow.

Donny van de Beek

Donny van de Beek signed for Manchester United with a growing reputation, having formed part of the exciting Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19.

A creative midfielder with an eye for goal, Van de Beek looked a shrewd signing but struggled to live up to expectations in England. He scored on his debut in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, a loss that set the tone for his campaign. He made just six league starts in four seasons as a Manchester United player.

Joshua Zirkzee

Manchester United fans will hope Joshua Zirkzee is more Van Nistelrooy than Van de Beek after his debut goal.

The 23-year-old signed from Bologna after helping the Italian side to Champions League qualification last season, as I Rossoblù upset the odds to secure a top-five finish in Italy.

Zirkzee was named as Serie A’s Young Player of the Season for his role in that success after scoring 11 league goals. With a heavy burden on Rasmus Hojlund to lead the line last season, there are high hopes Zirkzee can ease the goalscoring load.

So far, so good.

Read – Five Premier League debutants who impressed on the opening weekend

See more – Remembering every English winner of the PFA Player of the Year award in the Premier League era

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