The Premier League legend you will not believe went 007 after record-breaking transfer

A junior graphic designer in the offices of Sky Germany surely had no idea what they were unleashing on the world when they photoshopped Jadon Sancho in a James Bond tuxedo four years ago.

“They call me 007… 0 goals, 0 assists, 7 games” was the accompanying caption on the Sky Germany’s equivalent to Sky Sports News.

The screencap has lived in social media infamy ever since, offering a convenient yardstick on which to judge every high-profile attacking signing. It was a response to Sancho’s underwhelming start to life at Manchester United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s much-hyped big-money signing from Borussia Dortmund has had the odd moment at Old Trafford, but it would be fair to say he never really caught fire. The fact that he’s now playing a fringe role on loan at Aston Villa tells you a thing or two about the trajectory that his career has taken.

Such is the incessant noise and demand for hot takes, you can see the lure of the ‘007’ meme, as Benjamin Sesko and Florian Wirtz are finding out this summer.

There’s even such a desperation to fit Wirtz into that bracket that ‘007’ posts went viral including the Germany international’s (semi-?) competitive debut in the Community Shield… a game in which he assisted Hugo Ekitike’s opener.

Ignoring the Community Shield, Wirtz could make it seven matches without a goal or assist against Crystal Palace this weekend. And you can already feel the clamour to write him off as the next Sancho.

Sure, a slow start can be a concerning indication of things to come. Maybe it’s the wrong fit. Maybe they’re just fundamentally not that good and were overhyped all along.

But look at the players who didn’t go 007. Romelu Lukaku, Antony, Rasmus Hojlund, Andriy Shevchenko, even Andy Carroll; they all showed some early promise. How did things turn out for them?

And on the flipside… What about a player widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League history?

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry failed to score or assist in his first seven Premier League appearances.

After arriving at Arsenal in the summer of 1999, Henry admitted that he had to “rediscover the scoring instinct, that automatic reaction in front of goal.”

“I’ve literally had to go back to school and be re-taught everything about the art of striking,” he admitted.

Henry reunited with his former Monaco boss Arsene Wenger after an unhappy six months being played out of position at Juventus.

Replacing fellow France international Nicolas Anelka, he arrived for a club-record fee. But it took him time to live up to the considerable price tag.

He made his debut on the opening weekend, introduced at the break in a 2-1 home victory against Leicester City.

Starts against Derby, Sunderland, Manchester United, Bradford and Liverpool followed. Arsenal’s title credentials took an early hit as they dropped eight points, drawing 0-0 at Sunderland before defeats to United and Liverpool. Henry didn’t score or assist once.

Henry finally opened his account on his eighth appearance for the club on September 17th, the match-winner in a 1-0 victory at Southampton.

There’s a popular ketchup bottle analogy when it comes to goals and strikers; once you get one, more will inevitably follow. That didn’t quite turn out to be the case for Henry, who subsequently drew blanks against Watford, West Ham, Chelsea and Newcastle.

By late November, Arsenal’s marquee summer signing had scored just one goal.

But he never looked back after notching a brace at home to Derby. Goals against Wimbledon, Leeds, Sunderland and Bradford soon followed.

And there was no stopping him come the spring, when he scored in each of his last seven appearances of his debut 1999-00 campaign.

Henry ended the season on 17 Premier League goals, matching Anelka’s tally from the year before, and 26 in all competitions.

“So many people say that obviously my game has changed since I arrived here and I say that it’s good that it changed, otherwise it would show a lack of intelligence,” reflected on his development into a world-class forward at Arsenal, in an interview with The Guardian.

“You learn from your mistakes. When I was younger I was trying to do what I wanted to do, not what the game wanted me to do. I would say that’s the difference.”

We don’t need to spell out what Henry would go on to achieve at Arsenal. Arguably the greatest player in the club’s history, his legend and legacy are secure.

Almost as if judging any footballer after just seven games is engagement bait nonsense.

Good job social media wasn’t around in 1999; some snap judgements would have aged astonishingly badly.

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