Spurs' Goal Scoring Debutantes in Premier League

Sixteen players have scored for Tottenham Hotspur on their debut in the Premier League. New signing Tanguy Ndombele joins an interesting group of players - some who are fondly remembered at the club, while others have been long forgotten. 

(Up-dated: Aug. 2019) 

Sol Campbell: (Dec. 1992)* In the first season of the Premiership Campbell made his debut as a late substitute against Chelsea at White Hart Lane. His goal was a late consolation in a 2-1 defeat. Campbell went on to captain Spurs to a Worthington Cup success at Wembley against Leicester City in 1999 but he will never be forgiven by Spurs fans for the way he left the club in 2001 on a Bosman free to sign for their near neighbours and greatest rivals, Arsenal.

Ronnie Rosenthal: (Feb. 1994) Battling against relegation Ossie Ardiles signed Rosenthal to bring some experience to the team which was struggling to score goals due to a long-term injury to Teddy Sheringham. In his debut at home to Sheffield Wednesday Rosenthal scored but it didn't prevent Spurs losing 1-3. The highlight of Rosenthal's career with Spurs was the hat-trick he scored against Southampton in the FA Cup in 1995. Spurs were two down at half-time but Rosenthal came on as a substitute and scored twice to take the game to extra time. He completed his hat-trick (three tremendous goals) to give Spurs an improbable 6-2 victory.

Jurgen Klinsmann: (Aug. 1994) (pictured) Spurs were in deep trouble having been severely punished by the Football Association for financial irregularities. Chairman, Alan Sugar had managed to persuade Klinsmann to join Spurs and his presence gave Spurs an immediate boost and an opening day success against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Klinsmann scored in a 4-3 victory, introduced his 'dive' celebration and was carried off injured on his debut. Klinsmann formed an exciting goal scoring partnership with Teddy Sheringham but unfortunately it didn't produce any silverware for the club and he departed at the end of the season. His later return was not as effective although he scored four vital goals against Wimbledon to save Spurs from relegation under Christian Gross.

Dean Richards: (Sept. 2004) Signed from Southampton by Glenn Hoddle, defender Richards scored against Manchester United as Spurs took a three goal lead in the first half. However, that was as good as it got as after half-time United stormed back at White Hart Lane to win 5-3. Richards career at Spurs was blighted by injury.

Fredi Kanoute: (Aug. 2003)* Signed from West Ham United during the summer he made his debut at home to Leeds United. His substitute appearance in the first home game of the season ensured Spurs' 2-1 victory. A player of great technique, Kanoute's languid style divided supporters but he scored many important goals before his departure to Seville in 2005. After his departure some supporters came to realise what he brought to the team.

Mbulelo Mabizela: (Oct. 2003)* Signed by Spurs following their summer tour to South Africa, Mabizela made his debut as a late substitute at Leicester City. He scored the winning goal in the 2-1 success but failed to build on that promising start to his Spurs career.

Jermain Defoe: (Feb. 2004) Signed from West Ham United, Defoe was an instant hit scoring early on his debut against Portsmouth at White Hart Lane as Spurs won 4-3. A regular goal scorer he left for Portsmouth in January, 2008 but returned a year later and was part of the team which took Tottenham into the Champions League under Harry Redknapp. By the time of his departure in February, 2014, he had made 363 appearances, scoring 143 goals in all competitions. At that time he was Tottenham's 5th highest goalscorer and their highest scorer in European competitions. Harry Kane has since overtaken him in both of those rankings.

Mido: (Feb. 2005) A loan signing Mido made an impressive debut against Portsmouth, scoring twice. He became an important member of Martin Jol's team which just missed out on a Champions League place. When his application and effort were right, Mido was good and scored vital goals but he struggled to maintain his fitness and this endeavour.

Gilberto: (Mar. 2008)* A disappointing signing, the Brazilian rarely showed his true ability but scored in a 4-0 victory, having come on as a substitute against West Ham United at White Hart Lane. He had played his first game for Spurs in a UEFA Cup tie against PSV Eindhoven in mid-week but it was his error which had given the visitors the only goal of the game.

Sebastien Bassong: (Aug. 2009) His headed goal against Liverpool on the opening day of the 2009 - 10 season made him the tenth Spurs' player to score on their Premier League debut.

Danny Rose: (Apr. 2010) He made his league debut against Arsenal, scoring the first goal of the match after ten minutes as Tottenham won 2–1 in the Premier League on 14 April 2010. The goal was subsequently described as "a volley so thunderous that you could hear the whack off his boot above the din of the raucous crowd" in The Times. Rose won Goal of the Season, with votes run by Sky Sports and by the Tottenham website.

Emmanuel Adebayor: (Sept. 2011) Having joined Spurs on loan from Manchester City, in the 67th minute of his debut for Tottenham against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in September, 2011, Adebayor collected a through ball from Scott Parker and coolly scored his first goal for his new club. This set Spurs up for their first Premier League win of the season and made him the twelfth Tottenham player to score on their Premier League debut.

Moussa Dembele: (Aug. 2012) A match in which Spurs were struggling came to life in the second half when substitute Moussa Dembele scored from the edge of the penalty area. Unfortunately, it wasn't a winning debut as battling Norwich City levelled the scores with a few minutes remaining.

Roberto Soldado: (Aug. 2013) A second half penalty as Spurs visited London rivals, Crystal Palace, secured the points for Tottenham. The penalty came four minutes after the restart when a cross by Lennon was handled. Soldado stepped up confidently to score on his debut and set Spurs on their way with the only goal of the game.

Eric Dier: (Aug. 2014) Having joined Tottenham less than two weeks earlier, the 20-year-old Dier made an immediate impact at the club – impressing in central defence and also with his coolness when scoring the late goal. Played in by Harry Kane in the 92nd minute, Dier took the ball wide of the advancing West Ham goalkeeper and placed the ball into the open goal. With the goal coming so late in the game it was guaranteed to grab the headlines as it provided Mauricio Pochettino with a winning start to the season for Spurs.

Tanguy Ndombele: (Aug. 2019) Tottenham's record signing, costing £55m, made his debut against Aston Villa on the opening day of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A goal behind from the 9th minute and looking set to lose their first game, it was in the 73rd minute that Ndombele received the ball from Lucas Moura and fired in a shot from outside the box, to equalise and calm the worried Spurs' supporters. This lifted the team and the fans as Tottenham went on to win 3-1 with two goals in four minutes from Harry Kane as the game drew to a close.

* Players who made their debut as a substitute

Pre-Premier League Goal Scoring Debuts

Many players have scored on their debut prior to the creation of the Premier League. That list of players include many legends:

• Jimmy Greaves (a hat-trick against Blackpool (h))


• Martin Chivers (2 at Sheffield Wednesday)


• Colin Lee (4 in a 9-0 demolition of Bristol Rovers at White Hart Lane in Spurs last season in the old Second Division)


• Ricky Villa at Nottingham Forest


• Garth Crooks against Nottingham Forest

Robbie Keane - 100 Goals for Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs Fans Salute Robbie Keane

http://www.topspurs.com/newsnow/thfc-keano190108.htm

(for a record of all Robbie Keane's goals at Spurs use the above link to Topspurs)

Deep into injury time as Spurs hang on against a determined Sunderland and second half substitute, Robbie Keane, steps up to score his 100th goal for Tottenham Hotspur and most importantly secure the win and the three points. The fans rise as one to salute Robbie Keane.

However, go back a few weeks to the last game of 2007 - six goals against Reading and the club’s leading scorer for the calendar year of 2007 doesn’t get on the score sheet, in fact, he misses a penalty at 4 – 4 but sees Jermain Defoe save his blushes as he heads in the rebound. He is then substituted as the team wins 6-4.

That sums up the enigma that is Robbie Keane. Love him or loathe him, as some Spurs fans do, you have to acknowledge that he has an instinct for goals and frequently goals of the spectacular variety.

He has been described as a scorer of great goals rather than a great goal scorer and while there is an element of truth in that he has over the past couple of seasons added greater consistency to his game and the ability to be in the right place to knock in simple, goal-poacher’s type of goal as well.

Robbie Keane joined Tottenham in August, 2002 from Leeds United for £7 million as his former club slipped into financial ruin. Only turned 22 years of age, Keane had also played for Wolves, Coventry and Inter Milan. At the time there was newspaper talk that the signing was controversial due to a difference in view between the manager, Glenn Hoddle, and the Director of Football, David Pleat. Pleat was reported to be in favour of the signing while Hoddle was opposed to it, a view which could be supported as the manager left his new signing on the bench for the next game at Fulham which they lost from a winning two goal position.

Keane made his debut in a 3-2 home win over West Ham United and scored his first goal for the club in an away win at Blackburn three weeks later. He has now scored 100 goals for Spurs in all competitions and his second goal against Fulham on Boxing Day was his 100th Premier League goal, making him the thirteenth player to achieve that milestone.

Keane has developed his game to become creator as well as goal scorer and has developed a great understanding with Dimitar Berbatov as shown on numerous occasions, including by the cross that led to the Bulgarian scoring the first goal against Reading. He also won the penalty which led to Spurs going ahead.

Until recently, Keane had been so reliable and consistent when taking a penalty. His record shows 14 successful strikes from seventeen penalties. He was so calm and showed such composure, able to focus on the task and exclude all distractions from the opposition. He had previously only missed one penalty for Spurs, saved by Spurs now reserve keeper, Ben Alnwick, when he was playing for Sunderland at White Hart Lane.

Keane has shown great commitment to Spurs and has been the leading scorer for a number of seasons and even when omitted from the team, he has battled back into contention and shown a willingness to play from the substitutes’ bench. Able to play a variety of roles he has also combined well with other strike partners, Teddy Sheringham, Fredi Kanoute and Defoe.

For the early part of last season, manager Martin Jol rotated Keane and Defoe with Berbatov but eventually sided with Keane who could provide greater support to midfield as he often came to collect the ball before moving forward in attack. On occasions this was a fault in his play as when Spurs were under pressure Keane came further and further back leaving Berbatov isolated and Spurs brought more pressure on themselves.

Keane has many memorable goals – hat-tricks against Wolves and Everton, his juggling goal against Blackburn Rovers and the super strikes against Fulham in the Cup and in Europe. One other memorable moment was his dribbling and bamboozling of the Chelsea full back, leaving him on the ground, as he tricked his way up the line to eventually set up Aaron Lennon for the winner at White Hart Lane in November, 2006.

Martin Jol showed great faith in Keane, making him vice-captain, and he has accepted the responsibility as he did when appointed captain for the Ireland team. He is now their leading international goal scorer.

Last calendar year, 2007, Robbie Keane scored 31 goals in all competitions, 19 of which were in the Premier League from 32 appearances, keeping him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (18 goals from 31 appearances) and other strikers including Benni McCarthy, Carlos Tevez, Yukubu, Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba.

Last year started slowly for Keane who didn’t start a game in January and his first League goals didn’t come until late February when he scored two against Bolton Wanderers but was then sent off before half-time for handling the ball on the line following a corner. In his final seven League games of the season he scored nine goals and after a slow start to this season he scored another ten, bringing his total to nineteen.

To date, Keane is the fifteenth player to have scored one hundred or more goals for Spurs. That elite group is headed by Jimmy Greaves and includes Teddy Sheringham, Martin Chivers, Alan Gilzean, Bobby Smith and Glenn Hoddle, all Spurs ‘Legends’. Given his age and continued good form and avoiding injury, Keane could very quickly move well up that list.

Hopefully, Robbie Keane will continue to head Spurs’ goal scoring lists as the club move forward to claim some long awaited silverware in the coming seasons.

‘There’s Only One Robbie Keane!’