Mason Holgate was sent off on debut for Sheffield United on Sunday – the second time this season he’s lost 5-0 in his first game for a club. This got us wondering who’s had the worst Premier League debuts ever, and just how bad were they?
The 27-year-old was dismissed for a horrible challenge on Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma in his first game for Sheffield United.
On loan from Everton, Holgate saw red after 13 minutes when he clattered into Mitoma above knee height. The Blades would go on to lose 5-0 at home, as Holgate watched on from the stands.
Mason Holgate has lost 5-0 on his debut twice this season and now done one of the worst tackles you’ll ever see.
pic.twitter.com/i2Sx9EPsH9— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) February 18, 2024
It’s not the first time this season Holgate has made a painful start to life at a new club. After joining Southampton on loan in the summer, he made his debut for the Championship club on 2 September.
While Holgate did manage to stay on the field, Southampton lost 5-0 at Sunderland in a crushing defeat.
Holgate started that game, but was quickly out of the Saints lineup as Russell Martin’s men went on a 25-game unbeaten run.
Having never recovered from his debut performance, his loan was terminated, allowing him to join Sheffield United.
But with two 5-0 debut defeats in one season, we wondered if there have been any worse debuts in Premier League history?
Six Of The Worst Premier League Debuts Ever:
Moises Caicedo
Club-record signing Moises Caicedo enjoyed a horror debut for Chelsea earlier this season.
The Colombian arrived at Stamford Bridge for an eye-watering fee of £115 million, but was dreadful on debut at West Ham.
After repeatedly squandering possession, he conceded a clumsy penalty in stoppage time to rubber stamp an awful day’s work.
Thankfully for the 22-year-old, he’s been able to bounce back from his nightmare debut. To date, Caicedo has played 31 times for Chelsea in all competitions.
Rio Ferdinand
Another record-breaking move, Rio Ferdinand joined Leeds United from West Ham in 2000. Setting a new British record, his £18 million deal made him the world’s most expensive defender at the time.
But his debut could not have gone much worse. With manager David O’Leary altering tactics to suit their new star, Leeds found themselves 3-0 down to Leicester City inside half an hour.
Ferdinand was part of a Leeds defence that was ripped to pieces, and fans were quick to question the fee he commanded.
But despite his poor debut, Ferdinand would make 73 appearances for Leeds. Two years later, he made the switch to Manchester United, going on to win countless trophies.
Patrice Evra
One of Ferdinand’s United teammates had a shocker in his first game for the Red Devils. Patrice Evra was thrown in at the deep end by manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Given his Premier League debut in the Manchester Derby at Maine Road, Evra was run ragged.
United found themselves 2-0 down after goals from Darius Vassell and Trevor Sinclair. An apoplectic Ferguson hauled Evra off at half time, with the Frenchman visibly struggling.
The left back later revealed he had been sick that morning, which may have accounted for his lack of energy.
Evra did recover from his awful start, winning five league titles and the Champions League with United.
Joe Cole
After a successful spell at Stamford Bridge, Joe Cole left London in 2010. Arriving at Liverpool on a free transfer, it seemed a smart move for the club and player.
But the dream debut soon became a nightmare when Cole was sent off in the first half against Arsenal. Keen to impress the Koppites, Cole threw himself into a challenge on Laurent Koscielny, and was quickly dismissed.
Unlike others on this list, things didn’t improve much for Cole at Liverpool. During his injury-hit spell at Anfield he would play 42 times, scoring just five goals.
Thiago Silva
He may be a fan favourite at Chelsea now, but Thiago Silva had a dreadful debut for the club.
Arriving as one of the best defenders in football for over a decade, the Brazilian came with huge expectation.
But with the veteran already edging towards the end of his career, many questioned if he still had the ability to compete at the top level.
And those question marks were no greater than at half-time during his Premier League debut.
Chelsea found themselves 3-0 down to newly-promoted West Brom in September 2020. Silva was personally responsible for at least one goal, giving the ball away cheaply.
Somehow, Chelsea fought back to salvage an unexpected draw, but there was no hiding how bad Silva’s debut performance was.
However, the vastly-experienced defender has adapted to the Premier League well now, and was part of the squad that won the Champions League in 2021.
In recent seasons, Silva has been one of the shining lights in a frankly abysmal Chelsea team at times.
Alex Jankewitz
Younger players are often guilty of being too eager on debut, but Alex Jankewitz took it to new heights.
The teenager was given his debut for Southampton in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury in 2021, and was hyped as a potential star of the future.
With the Saints squad ravaged by injuries, Jankewitz was then handed a start in the Premier League at Old Trafford later that month.
But the midfielder’s league debut would last a total of 79 seconds before he was shown a straight red for a nasty challenge on Manchester United’s Scott McTominay.
2: #SaintsFC down to 10 men.
Alex Jankewitz is shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Scott McTominay. [0-0] pic.twitter.com/xDzk3OpC8a
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) February 2, 2021
Southampton would go on to lose the game 9-0 as defender Jan Bednarek also saw red late on, conceding a penalty for a mistimed tackle on Anthony Martial.
With Southampton equalling the record for the heaviest defeat in Premier League history, it’s hard to argue there have been any worse debuts than Jankewitz’s.
The former Swiss youth star never played another minute for Southampton, moving to BSC Young Boys in July 2021.
He failed to make an impression there, either. Now 22, he plays for FC Winterthur, also in Switzerland, but has never lived up to his early career hype.
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