Spurs pulled off a coup when they lured the World Cup-winning German striker to White Hart Lane and he immediately made an impression.
There were plenty who wondered whether his reputation for theatrical falling would be good for the English game but he won media over at a jovial first press conference when he joked about looking for a diving school.
He then delivered on the field by heading what proved the decisive goal in a 4-3 victory at Hillsborough and celebrated with a swan dive in front of supporters.
Fabrizio Ravanelli (Middlesbrough, v Liverpool, 1996)
Ravanelli grabbed a memorable hat-trick on his Middlesbrough debut (Dave Kendall/PA Archive)
Middlesbrough created a buzz in the mid-1990s with their signings of Juninho, Emerson and Ravanelli and the Italian striker was an instant hit with a hat-trick on debut.
Three times Boro fell behind in a classic encounter at the Riverside but Ravanelli responded each time to secure a 3-3 draw.
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His first equaliser came from the penalty spot, his second was a tap-in and his third a fine low shot across goal on the turn. He celebrated each time by lifting his shirt over his head in trademark fashion.
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United, v Fulham, 2001)
Ruud van Nistelrooy, centre, scored twice on his Premier League debut (Martin Rickett/PA)
The Dutch striker had to wait a year for his move to United after being struck down by a knee injury in 2000 but he soon made up for lost time.
With United trailing 2-1 at Old Trafford, Van Nistelrooy turned the game around with two goals in the space of three minutes early in the second half.
His first was a deft volleyed finish as the keeper came out to meet him and his second an emphatic close-range strike.
The man who would go on to become City’s record goalscorer began with a bang with two goals on debut as a substitute.
City had only just taken the lead when the Argentinian was brought on to enliven the attack after an hour and he soon did just that, turning in at the far post within minutes of stepping off the bench.
He then teed up another for David Silva before wrapping up a 4-0 win with a long-range drive.
Anthony Martial (Manchester United, v Liverpool, 2015)
Martial ended any hopes of a Liverpool fightback (Martin Rickett/PA)
However Martial is ultimately remembered at Old Trafford, his debut is unlikely to be forgotten.
The Frenchman instantly endeared himself to United fans by coming off the bench and wrapping up a 3-1 win over arch-rivals Liverpool.
A stunning volley from Christian Benteke with six minutes remaining had given Liverpool hope of snatching a point but Martial soon ended any chance of that. The 19-year-old cut into the area from the left and weaved between two defenders before clipping a low shot past Simon Mignolet.
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