Zlatan Ibrahimovic's top five debuts
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proven time and again that he is a man who knows how to make an entrance.
In a distinguished career, the 36-year-old has made a habit of endearing himself to fans almost instantly by showing off his brilliance soon after moving.
Given that he is a player who has been prone to moving – he has now featured for nine clubs in a senior career that has spanned 19 years – it has been one of the secrets to his success and impressive popularity the world over.
Moreover, he has enjoyed a storied career in terms of winning trophies, picking up domestic titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.
And, of course, he is the record goalscorer for the Swedish national time, though his introduction to the international scene was one of his rare let downs as they were held scoreless by the Faroe Islands when he made his bow.
Ibrahimovic is arguably the most spectacular player of his generation, with an eye for scoring a volume of eye-catching goals that perhaps no-one else is capable of. Here are five of his best first impressions.
LA Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s bow for LA Galaxy against Los Angeles FC is liable to go down in the football annals as the definitive debut performance.
As the Galaxy unveiled his signing following his release by Manchester United, Ibrahimovic took out an advert in the local paper that simply said: ‘Welcome to Zlatan’.
If local residents did not know who the Swede was when he arrived with such a characteristically grand proclamation, little over a week later, they certainly did.
Ibrahimovic might only have played 19 minutes of the derby, dubbed ‘El Trafico’, but his impact on it was profound. The Galaxy had trailed 3-0 at one juncture but had hauled it back to 3-1 by the time he was introduced.
Just his sheer presence seemed to lift those around him, with Chris Pontius promptly halving the deficit.
Within six minutes of coming on, Ibra had sent a stunning 45-yard shot into the net, then he completed the comeback with a header from a testing angle with only seconds left on the clock.
“I heard the crowd say: ‘We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan.’ So I gave them Zlatan,” he said in typical fashion after the encounter.
He has set his standard high in the MLS, which is sure to love the attacker’s larger-than-life personality.