It is very rare in modern football that you witness the debut of a player you have never seen before. 

Normally fans have watched the guy strut his stuff for another club or have seen glimpses of a youngster in the reserves.  

On Sunday I sat impatiently waiting for Milan’s new teenage Brazilian striker Pato to announce himself to Serie A in the game with Napoli.

Having been on holiday and at a Ferrari event in the mountains in recent weeks, I had missed the incessant build-up to his debut on Italian TV and so had not seen the clips of him eagerly ripping defences apart for previous club Internacional.  

Like the nine-year-old ignorant of Roberto Baggio at Italia 90, I had no idea what to expect. Officials at Milan said if Pato played like he did in the training he would score 30 goals between now and May.   

In the end Pato (his nickname meaning duck) played just like any other 18 year-old making his debut in front of 80,000 people at the San Siro. He was extremely nervous and shot straight at the keeper twice in succession only to have Clarence Seedorf spare his blushes by smashing the ball into the net.  

Pato did get his goal though to round off the 5-2 victory, Milan’s first at home in the league this term. Even me as a nine-year-old could probably have finished it off but if the Italian papers are to be believed it was one of the greatest goals in history.   

The jury is still out on Pato, but he will certainly improve and he showed one characteristic which is generally the mark of really great players — humility.      

“I am not the phenomenon, Ronaldo is. I told him that after the goal,” Pato said after the original Brazilian wonderboy scored his first two goals of an injury-ravaged season.  

Mark Meadows, Milan

PHOTO: Pato congratulates Ronaldo after his goal in the 5-2 win over Napoli, Jan 13 REUTERS/Daniele la Monaca