5 of the best debut seasons in Premier League history

#2: Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres was phenomenal in his first season with Liverpool

Nicknamed El Nino, Fernando Torres already carried the reputation of one of Europe’s most prolific strikers when he signed for Liverpool for a then-club record £20m from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007, but few observers expected him to make quite as much of an impact as he eventually did.

Torres was simply phenomenal in his first season for the Reds, sending records tumbling left, right and centre. He hit 33 goals in all competitions, with 24 of them coming in the Premier League – making him the most prolific foreign goalscorer in a debut season in English football history to that point.

He also matched the legendary Roger Hunt’s record of scoring in eight consecutive home league games, became the first player in 60 years to score consecutive hat-tricks at home, and became the first Reds player to score more than 20 league goals since Robbie Fowler in 1995/96.

While he didn’t win any silverware in his debut season at Anfield – indeed, he never won any silverware during his Liverpool career – he was named in the PFA Team of the Year and also came in third place in 2008’s Ballon d’Or, after also helping Spain to win Euro 2008.

Torres went on to win trophies – the FA Cup and Champions League – with Chelsea, but his first season at Liverpool was his best in Premier League action and remains one of the greatest debut seasons in the league’s history.