ij at ović , ▁Dav or ▁Š uk er ▁and ▁Christian ▁Pan ucci ▁due ▁to ▁mount ing ▁deb t , ▁while ▁Se ed orf ▁was ▁later ▁released ▁shortly ▁after ▁Mc Man aman ▁arrived . ▁ ▁Mc Man aman ' s ▁arrival ▁saw ▁him ▁become ▁only ▁the ▁second ▁English ▁player ▁to ▁ever ▁play ▁for ▁the ▁club , ▁after ▁Laur ie ▁C unning ham ▁had ▁played ▁for ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁He ▁became ▁the ▁first - ever ▁player ▁from ▁the ▁Premier ▁League ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁Madrid ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁most ▁high - profile ▁English ▁footballer ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁Spanish ▁football ▁since ▁Gary ▁Line ker ▁had ▁moved ▁to ▁Barcelona ▁from ▁Ever ton ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁When ▁Mc Man aman ▁first ▁arrived , ▁he ▁admitted ▁an ▁initial ▁struggle ▁with ▁l onel iness , ▁and ▁spoke ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁retired ▁former ▁Liverpool ▁player ▁Michael ▁Robinson ▁being ▁his ▁ment or ▁( h aving ▁also ▁moved ▁to ▁Spain ▁to ▁play ▁football ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁media ▁career ▁there ). ▁▁ ▁Following ▁a ▁successful ▁pre - season ▁with ▁the ▁Madrid ▁team ▁in ▁Switzerland ▁and ▁Italy , ▁Mc Man aman ▁and ▁the ▁team ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁Spain ▁and ▁he ▁proved ▁an ▁instant ▁hit ▁with ▁the ▁fans ▁at ▁the ▁Santiago ▁Bern ab é u ▁Stadium ▁after ▁scoring ▁three ▁times ▁and ▁creating ▁several ▁goals ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁few ▁games ▁for ▁Los ▁Mer eng ues . ▁Mc Man aman ▁made ▁his ▁debut ▁for ▁Madrid ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁August ▁ 1 9