Soccer / Football · The Guardian
Have any footballers ever scored with the first touch of their careers? | The Knowledge
Published by The Guardian on September 30, 2026 at 3:00 AM ET
Plus: European stadiums with low Google ratings, losing hat-tricks and the last time Spain had less than 50% possession Mail us with your all of your questions and answers “Jamie Spencer, 17, made his first first-team appearance in a competitive match, for Huddersfield at Doncaster on 9 September in the prestigious EFL Trophy,” emails Richard Askham . “He came on as a substitute in the 66th minute and scored with his second touch of the ball, one to control it and the second to score . Has anyone scored with their very first touch, which is the only way to better young Spencer’s achievement?” We covered a variation of this question back in 2021 , with answers on players scoring with their first touch on debut for their new clubs. This week, though, goes a step further, covering players that score with the first touches of their professional careers, although there are a few answers from that 2021 piece that work here, too: Jack Aitchison for Celtic in 2016 , Matt Hatch for Central Coast Mariners in 2021, England one-cap wonder Michael Ricketts for Walsall against Brighton in 1996, Maheta Molango (now the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association) for Brighton against Reading in August 2004 , and Yan Dhanda for Swansea City at Sheffield United in 2018. Continue reading...
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