While some modern managers, such as Mikel Arteta, prefer the term “finishers,” there remains only one widely recognized term for those players who thrive on changing the course of a match after arriving as substitutes: the super sub. These game-changers are defined by their ability to provide consistent goals and assists throughout their careers, proving that their contribution is often more vital than those who start the match. Mikel Arteta may be attempting to rebrand them “finishers” but there’s only one phrase in the footballing lexicon to sum up today’s focus: super subs.
Before exploring the top 10, several players deserve honorable mentions. Adam le Fondre holds the record for the most goals scored off the bench in a single Premier League campaign, netting five of his eight total goals during a brief period in January 2013. Meanwhile, Hernan Crespo maintains the highest goals-per-game ratio among reserves, scoring six times in just 16 appearances for Chelsea. Former Leicester and Norwich forward Mark Robins similarly displayed efficiency with five goals in 14 substitute outings, while Roman Pavlyuchenko saw 45% of his 20 Premier League goals for Tottenham come while appearing as a replacement. So here we go, I’ve ranked mine below – you can have your say in the comments, too.
Coming in at number 10 is Theo Walcott. Although he holds the record for being substituted off the most times in league history—168 occasions—his impact coming onto the pitch is equally noteworthy. With 14 assists as a substitute, he shares the league record with Ryan Giggs and Marc Albrighton. Across spells at Arsenal, Everton, and Southampton, he also netted 10 goals as a replacement, placing him fourth in total goal contributions off the bench. Nwankwo Kanu’s impact as a substitute was felt immediately at Arsenal.
Ninth on the list is Victor Anichebe. The former Everton, West Brom, and Sunderland forward scored 13 goals as a sub, representing 50% of his total 26 Premier League strikes—the joint-highest percentage for any player with at least 20 competition goals. His ability to create chances was equally impressive, as he recorded 12 assists off the bench, a feat surpassed by only three other players in the league’s history. With both forwards contributing exactly half of all their Premier League goals as a substitute, this was a toss up between Victor Anichebe and Divock Origi. Daniel Sturridge has two fewer substitute goals then Welbeck but has scored a slightly higher percentage of his overall Premier League tally as a sub – 22%.
Eighth place goes to Daniel Sturridge. With 17 of his 76 top-flight goals coming as a substitute, his efficiency across his time at Manchester City, Chelsea, Bolton, Liverpool, and West Brom was remarkable. He contributed a total of 24 goals and assists as a reserve, and when accounting for his time on the field, he provided these contributions at a higher rate than nearly all his contemporaries. Though Danny Welbeck remains a strong contender with 19 substitute goals, Sturridge’s prolific rate earns him the spot. The 35-year-old is now at Chelsea but – with apologies to Danny – there is another former Blue whose stats demand a place on this list.
Seventh is Olivier Giroud, a decorated forward who remains second on the all-time substitute scoring list. During his tenures at Arsenal and Chelsea, he netted 21 of his 90 top-flight goals after coming off the bench. His total of 103 substitute appearances underscores his consistent role as a lethal late-game weapon for his managers. The flying forward was often used by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to stretch defences with his pace and movement – a lactic acid-inducing sight for flailing full-backs, bursting on to the top-flight scene as an explosive teenager. The Nigerian forward collected a throw-in meant for a Sheffield United player – after the opposition kicked the ball out for an injury – and crossed for Marc Overmars to score, coming off the bench on his debut.
Tore Andre Flo occupies the sixth position. Renowned for his unique blend of height and technical ability, Flo scored 34% of his 38 Premier League goals as a substitute, including his debut strike for Chelsea in 1997. His 12 goals off the bench for the Blues and three additional assists made him a perennial threat, ranking him fifth for minutes-per-goal involvement. Gangly frame but for the silky touches the Norwegian often showed with his giant boots, tore Andre Flo was a menace for Premier League defenders not merely because of his tall. Small in stature but a giant headache for tiring defenders.
Fifth is Javier Hernandez. Known as “The Little Pea,” he possessed a knack for finding the net when defenses were fatigued. He scored 19 goals in 78 substitute appearances, with 36% of his total Premier League goals coming as a replacement. He averaged a goal every 88 minutes when introduced from the bench, sitting only behind Jermain Defoe and Giroud in total substitute goals. A rate of 0.24 per game, with 36% of all his Premier League goals coming after he started on the bench – predominantly for Manchester United but also later in his career at West Ham, he has 19 in 78 sub appearances. When you break it down to minutes per goal, Dzeko is level at the top with Solskjaer – scoring on average every 83 minutes. But it was substitute Dzeko’s header two minutes earlier that levelled the game, everyone remembers the Aguero moment. Sticking strictly to his Premier League output, Solskjaer is joint-fifth on the all-time substitute scoring list with 17, netting 19% of his 91 top-flight goals off the bench, with a ratio of 0.2 goals-per-game as a sub. Like Dzeko, Solskjaer was playing for one of the most dominant teams in the land, the caveat is. Kanu, who joined from Inter Milan having earlier won the Champions League at Ajax, made 56 of his 119 top-flight appearances for Arsenal as a sub. Too, he netted 17 goals off the bench – 31% of all his top-flight strikes – which places him joint-fifth on the all-time substitute scoring list, when you take in spells at West Brom and Portsmouth.
Fourth on the list is Edin Dzeko. During his time at Manchester City, he scored 50 Premier League goals, with over a quarter coming as a substitute. His 17 goal contributions in 56 games as a replacement include perhaps the most critical substitute goal in league history: his stoppage-time equalizer against QPR on the final day of the 2012 season. He ranks among the very best in terms of goals-per-game ratios for those with at least 10 substitute goals. Aged 40, Edin Dzeko is still scoring goals for Bundesliga outfit Schalke. Too – 17 goal contributions during 56 top-flight games as a replacement means Dzeko returned on average every 63 minutes, he stands alone once you add assists.
Third is the iconic Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. His reputation as a super sub is legendary, cemented by his role in Manchester United’s historic Treble. Beyond his dramatic impact in European finals, he remained a potent force in league play. Just four days after starting the 1999 FA Cup final, he showcased his clinical nature with a four-goal burst in the final ten minutes of an 8-1 victory against Nottingham Forest. Having bagged four in the final 10 minutes of an 8-1 win at Nottingham Forest in the February, it capped a vintage few months for Solskjaer’s super sub legend. It sparked a famous FA Cup rematch.
Finally, at number one, Jermain Defoe holds the record for the most Premier League goals scored as a substitute with 24. Remarkably, each of those 24 goals occurred in different fixtures, meaning he scored in more individual games as a sub than any other player. His longevity was extraordinary, beginning with a goal that secured a 3-2 win for West Ham against Ipswich in his debut season, and ending 17 years later when he scored a stoppage-time equalizer for Bournemouth.
