When the pressure mounts during a football match, coaches often rely on their substitutes to change the game’s dynamics and shift the momentum. A well-timed substitution can significantly alter the course of a match.
While any player can make an impact off the bench, forwards are most commonly the ones managers turn to, giving rise to the term “super sub.” You might wonder why a player who consistently scores off the bench isn’t in the starting lineup. The answer lies in their unique mentality; some players excel as substitutes, exploiting the fatigue of opponents.
The top 10 best super subs in football history.
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a Manchester United legend, is widely regarded as the greatest super sub of all time. Known as the “Baby-faced assassin,” Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 366 appearances for Manchester United, with 28 of those goals coming off the bench. He set a Premier League record by scoring four goals as a substitute against Nottingham Forest in 1999. His most memorable super sub moment was scoring the winning goal in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich, securing a historic treble for Manchester United.
- Jermaine Defoe
Jermaine Defoe, who played for five different Premier League teams, holds the record for the highest-scoring super sub in Premier League history with 24 goals. Though often a first-choice striker, Defoe was particularly dangerous as a substitute. His best performance as a super sub was for England against the Netherlands in 2009, where he came off the bench to score twice and salvage a draw for his team.
- Olivier Giroud
Olivier Giroud scored 20 Premier League goals as a substitute, the second-highest in the division’s history. He became a valuable option off the bench during his later years at Arsenal and continued this role at Chelsea before moving to AC Milan in 2021. Giroud is known for his exceptional aerial ability, often scoring headed goals.
- David Fairclough
David Fairclough is renowned as Liverpool’s most famous super sub. Scoring 55 goals in 154 appearances for the club, 18 of which came from 62 substitute appearances, Fairclough was known for his uncanny ability to find the target. Despite starting only 92 games in his eight years at Liverpool, he remains one of the club’s legendary goalscorers.
- Javier Hernandez “Chicharito”
Javier Hernandez, known as “Chicharito,” was one of the Premier League’s most effective substitutes while at Manchester United. Often behind players like Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, Hernandez made significant impacts off the bench with his speed and positional awareness. He scored 16 goals as a substitute and had a total of 37 goals and 12 assists in 103 Premier League appearances, despite starting only 49 of those games.
- Luis Muriel
Colombian striker Luis Muriel made a name for himself at Serie A side Atalanta as a super sub. In the 2019/20 season, he scored a league goal every 41 minutes when coming off the bench, totaling 11 goals as a substitute. Muriel’s 18 goals that season included 11 scored as a substitute, making him the top super sub in Europe and the only player to score more than 10 goals as a substitute in a single Serie A season.
- Peter Crouch
Standing at 6’7”, Peter Crouch was an ideal substitute for tight games. His height allowed him to exploit tired defenders, and he holds the record for the most headed goals in Premier League history. With 143 substitute appearances, Crouch has the most substitute appearances in the Premier League and scored 16 goals in those appearances. He often wore the number 15 jersey.
- Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu often came off the bench for Arsenal, given the presence of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry. Nearly half of his appearances were as a substitute, making him one of the most used substitutes in Premier League history. Kanu made 118 substitute appearances across spells at Arsenal, West Brom, and Portsmouth, and is considered an African football legend.
- Divock Origi
With fierce competition at Liverpool, Divock Origi frequently came off the bench. He was particularly effective in crucial moments, such as the 2019 UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona where he scored twice, and the final where he netted against Tottenham Hotspur. Origi also became a fan favorite for regularly scoring as a substitute against Everton.
- Wout Weghorst
Wout Weghorst has proven to be a valuable substitute for the Netherlands, notably scoring two goals against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup after being subbed on in the 78th minute. He also made a significant impact in Euro 2024, coming off the bench to secure a win for the Netherlands against Poland. Weghorst has cemented his status as one of the top super subs in football history.
