Football

The 10 WORST Debuts In Football

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Liam Rouse
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Liam Rouse Sports Editor

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Published17 Mar 2025

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Here are a look at some of the worst football debuts in history – a moment to forget for many players on their first outings for their new club.

First impressions mean everything in football, especially when it comes to debuts for your new club. While many of these players went on to have sparkling careers, their first moments are ones they’d rather not .

Worst Football Debuts In History

10. Kalvin Phillips

West Ham (2024)

After a torrid time at Manchester City, Phillips’ move to West Ham seemed to be an opportunity to reignite his career.

Unfortunately for the Yorkshireman, an attempted prod back to his keeper in the third minute was picked up by Dominic Solanke.

The Cherries striker did not hesitate to put his side ahead, hanging Phillips out to dry less than five minutes into his Hammers career.

9. Chris Iwelumo

Scotland (2008)

Scotland’s 2010 World Cup qualification hopes were laid on the striker’s shoulders after being brought on with 35 minutes remaining.

With the Scots stuck in a goalless deadlock against Norway at Hampden Park, a square ball into the box from Scott Brown looked to be the answer.

Faced with an open net less than two yards from goal, it was a sure fire tap in.

Iwelumo, however, managed to blaze the ball wide of the net – to the dismay of the Hampden home fans.

He would go on to earn three international caps but never found the back of the net.

8. Abdukodir Khusanov

Manchester City (2025)

Uzbek debutant Abdukodir Khusanov was one of two fresh starters at the Etihad against Chelsea, after only participating two training sessions with City.

The young debutant, caught out by an overhead ball, misjudged his header back to goal.

Chelsea’s Nicholas Jackson pounced on this mistake.

The Senegalese striker coolly converted the opportunity, leaving City manager Pep Guardiola ruing his faith in the new g.

7. Emmanuel Frimpong

Barnsley (2014)

The move to South Yorkshire looked to be a fresh start for the Arsenal graduate after struggling to find his feet at the Emirates.

Frimpong, clearly fired up for his debut, wasted no time getting stuck into the South Yorkshire Derby.

Heavy tackles on Jose Semedo and Chris Maguire within one minute earned him a yellow.

His debut came to a swift end when he needlessly flew into Maguire for a second time.

Old habits die hard it would seem. His full debut for the Gunners at the age of 19 also saw him earn two yellows and an early shower.

6. Dele Alli

Como (2025)

The stage looked set for a Dele Alli comeback. After his departure from Everton, his g by Italian side Como under the tutelage of Spanish football royalty Cesc Fabregas seemed promising.

While it still may prove to be beneficial for the England international, it was not a sparkling start to lakeside life.

Alli was shown a yellow 10 minutes into his debut, after he clipped Milan’s Ruben Loftus Cheek’s ankle. This was subsequently upgraded to a red, following VAR intervention, and Alli was sent to the tunnel.

Alli’s former Spurs teammate, Kyle Walker, could be seen pleading with the referee on his behalf, despite playing for Milan.

Fabregas also earned himself a dismissal for expressing his feelings to the referee. Alli did see the funny side of it, though. The ex-Spurs star shared his WhatsApp exchange with Loftus-Cheek after the game as the two Englishmen laughed off the incident.

5. Gaetano Berardi

Leeds (2014)

Known as ‘the lion of Elland Road’, Berardi wasted no time earning his title.

Brought into the side by David Hockaday in 2014, the Swiss defender hoped to make an immediate impact during a League Cup tie against Accrington Stanley.

Berardi lunged at the ball; in a move many have described as a Kung-Fu kick.

The mid-air move caught the opposition defender in the midriff and Berardi received his marching orders.

Despite such a rocky start, Berardi would go on to become a legend at the club and prove instrumental in their promotion winning campaign.

4. Lionel Messi

Argentina (2005)

With a record of only three reds in his entire career, it’s to imagine Lionel Messi putting a foot wrong, let alone on that would see him sent off.

However, his international career for Argentina did not get off to best start.

The Rosario-born teen was already making headlines in Spain, leading to a highly anticipated international debut.

Coming off the bench in a friendly against Hungary, Messi made one of his now trademark runs toward the box.

The would-be Barca legend threw an elbow back in retaliation to a shirt pull, only to catch his opponent in the neck.

This move saw the future World Cup winner removed from play 47 seconds after his introduction.

3. Harry Clarke

Ipswich Town (2024)

Hometown boy Harry Clarke looked to write his name into Tractor Boys folklore after receiving a move to the freshly-promoted side.

Clarke’s enthusiasm, however, resulted in a debut he’d rather forget.

His first half of Premier League football came to a disastrous close. After sliding to block a 44th-minute strike, Clarke sent the ball past his keeper for a debut own goal.

Four minutes into the restart, a challenge on Brentford’s Keane Lewis-Potter led to a penalty. Clarke received a first yellow for his troubles.

The ex-Arsenal man then flew into Lewis-Potter again 20 minutes later, leaving the referee with no choice but to send him to the tunnel.

2. Jonathan Woodgate

Real Madrid (2005)

The Englishman looked to have earned a dream move to the Spanish giants in the mid-2000s.

After a bright career at both Newcastle and Leeds, Woodgate appeared to have the world at his fingertips.

Injuries delayed his debut for Los Blancos, meaning he only debuted a year after g.

Woodgate’s first half of Spanish football saw him send the ball past Iker Casillas and into his own net. He also earned himself a yellow after lunging at Carlos Gurpegi shortly before the break.

The referee presented Woodgate with a second yellow and subsequent red in the 65th minute following a foul on Etexberria.

The Nunthorpe man only made 14 appearances for Real.

Spanish publication Marca would go on to describe him as the worst g of the century.

1. Ali Dia

Southampton (1996)

The only thing worse than a bad start by a great player is a bad start by a player who should never have been there to begin with.

Ali Dia replaced Southampton’s injured Matt Le Tissier in the first half.

Dia would not finish the match, with Saints boss Graeme Souness hooking him after 20 minutes.

As the story goes, Souness was hoodwinked by Dia, who claimed to be the cousin of FIFA Player of the Year and Ballon D’or holder George Weah. He was, in fact, a university student with no professional footballing experience to speak of.

While we might sympathise with Souness for being tricked, stricter scouting measures should certainly have been in place.

The Senegalese striker would never play professionally in England again.