There’s a very good chance that the standing ovation that greeted Pape Matar Sarr as he made his way off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch on Saturday evening will be the first of many. The 20-year-old more than deserved the applause of every single Tottenham fan after a colossal performance in the middle of the park.

Already showing Tottenham supporters a glimpse of what exactly he can offer over the coming years, the ex-Metz man made the rest of the Premier League stand up and take notice in Spurs’ 2-0 win over Manchester United. It was only right that he marked his sublime showing with a goal, with the moment arriving in the 49th minute of the contest.

Doing what Ange Postecoglou wants from his midfielders and making his way into the box with a brilliant run, Sarr was on hand at the back post to sweep the ball high into the net after Dejan Kulusevski’s cross had deflected into his path. It was a fine finish from the midfielder as well as he opened his Tottenham account in style.

Postecoglou’s decision to bring him into the starting XI well and truly paid off. Getting the final 15 minutes of the 2-2 draw at Brentford six days earlier, Sarr gave his head coach no choice but to start him against the Red Devils after an “outstanding” week on the training pitch.

“Pape and Pedro [Porro] have been outstanding in training, got a good energy and we’ve thrown them out there, test them out there, and in this early part of the season I need to find out the players that are quickest to adapt to what we’re trying to do without it disrupting team cohesion,” said the Australian when speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the contest.

Sarr was a hive of activity on Saturday evening and made life incredibly difficult for the visitors with his athleticism and ability to carry the ball. Maybe not known for his goalscoring, the Senegal international has looked a threat in the final third in Postecoglou’s team and he had an effort saved by Andre Onana before later seeing a cross deflected against the post prior to half-time.

READ MORE: Postecoglou impact, why Dele Alli was in attendance – 5 things spotted in Tottenham vs Man Utd

Showing a liking for a shot from distance in his 16 appearances for Tottenham, it was only a matter of time before his maiden strike arrived. It was some moment inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium once the ball flew into the roof of the net and he took off to the far corner, slid on his knees and celebrated with the fans as his jubilant teammates came over to join him.

Sarr’s game went from strength to strength after his goal, with one thumping tackle on Marcus Rashford leading to a similar sound that greeted his strike as the home faithful erupted once again. With Pedro Porro out of position as Erik ten Hag’s men looked to punish Spurs, the youngster came across and helped out his team with a booming tackle that resulted in fans getting off their seat and applauding him.

The whole of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium bar the travelling fans were then on their feet moments later as Sarr’s time on the pitch came to an end as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replaced him for the final 15 minutes. On a day when a number of the team, including Porro, Destiny Udogie, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison, stood up and delivered towering displays, Sarr was the standout player.

His numbers from the game (via FotMob) were also mightily impressive. Accurate with 31 of his 36 passes – two of which were long balls – he also made four passes into the final third, won his two tackles, came out on top in four of his five duels and made a total of seven recoveries. It was no surprise Postecoglou was waxing lyrical about his player in his post-match press conference.

“Yeah, brilliant. He’s been great from the moment I arrived,” said the 57-year-old on Sarr. “He’s got a great energy about him, but he’s got quality there too.

“He’s one of those midfielders who causes the opposition real problems because whether it’s him running with the ball or without the ball, he runs forward, he runs aggressively and he disrupts the opposition. He’s just got a great temperament for a young guy. So really pleased for him.”

In a week where Moises Caicedo joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in an eye-watering £115million move and the Blues also secured Romeo Lavia for £58million, Sarr outlined to everyone that clubs do not have to splash the cash in order to sign some of the best talent in the game. Making the move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium two years ago but remaining on loan at Metz for a further season, Fabio Paratici managed to lure the starlet to north London for just £14.6million.

Appearing to be some deal now going on Sarr’s display against Manchester United and his coming-of-age performance away at AC Milan in the Champions League back in February, the £14.6million transfer is starting to look like an absolute bargain. Showing Tottenham fans just what he can offer this season under the new boss, Postecoglou is only going to take Tottenham’s latest star on to even greater heights.

This is only the start of things to come in Sarr’s Spurs career