Five unforgettable striker debuts that began with a hat-trick

Stellenbosch FC forward Quwan Plaatjies has entered South African football history after becoming the first local player to score a hat-trick on his PSL debut.

His three-goal display secured Stellenbosch FC’s first win and prompted a look back at five prominent strikers who also made an immediate impact by scoring a hat-trick on their debut in a major competition.

Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland made an extraordinary first impression in the Bundesliga after joining Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg in January 2020.

The Norway international was introduced as a substitute against Augsburg and scored three times in an astonishing 20-minute spell. His goals helped Dortmund recover from a difficult position and claim a 5-3 victory.

That performance was even more notable because Haaland had already scored a hat-trick on his UEFA Champions League debut for RB Salzburg earlier in the same season. The achievement underlined his reputation as a rare talent capable of producing an immediate impact at the highest level.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also announced himself in the Bundesliga with three goals on his debut for Borussia Dortmund.

The Gabon international had joined the club from French side Saint-Etienne during the summer before the 2013-14 campaign. He marked his first Bundesliga appearance with a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Augsburg.

Aubameyang’s sharp finishing quickly made him one of Dortmund’s most dangerous attacking players. Five years later, his performances helped earn him a move to Arsenal.

Fabrizio Ravanelli

Fabrizio Ravanelli remains the only player to score a hat-trick on his English Premier League debut.

The Italian forward scored all three of Middlesbrough’s goals in a 3-3 draw with Liverpool at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. It was a remarkable introduction for a striker who had won both the UEFA Champions League and the Serie A title with Juventus during the previous campaign.

Ravanelli’s achievement remains unique in the Premier League, with no other player having matched his three-goal debut.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney made his first appearance for Manchester United in September 2004 and immediately delivered a memorable performance.

At the age of 18, Rooney scored a hat-trick as United beat Fenerbahce 6-2 on his club debut and his UEFA Champions League debut. He became the youngest player to score three times in his first match in the competition.

The performance instantly endeared him to Manchester United supporters and marked the beginning of an outstanding career at club and international level.

Alan Shearer

Long before becoming the Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer, Alan Shearer made his name as a 17-year-old with Southampton.

Shearer scored a hat-trick on his first full professional appearance for the club in 1988. At the time, he became the youngest player to score three goals in the Premier League era.

That early milestone offered an indication of the career that followed. Shearer went on to become one of English football’s most prolific strikers and the competition’s record goalscorer.

Plaatjies’ performance for Stellenbosch FC now places him among a select group of forwards whose first major appearances were defined by three-goal hauls.