Substitutes are extremely important in football. They provide managers with the ability to change strategies in the middle of a game. In its three decades of existence, the English top-flight has seen its fair share of ‘super-subs.’
Late in contests, these marksmen were able to reap the benefits of exhausted legs. They frequently scored stunning goals in the last stages of games to affect the outcome. The players on this list were all regulars in the Premier League. Some of them were starters for their respective clubs regularly. Managers primarily employed the others as impact subs.
Let’s have a look at the top five players in the Premier League who have scored the most goals as a substitute:
5. Daniel Sturridge: 17 Goals
The Englishman, who is currently playing in the Australian A-League, was once one of the Premier League’s most feared strikers. In the competition, he represented Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool. With the Merseyside club, he had his most successful period.
Daniel Sturridge played in the Premier League for five different clubs. He scored 17 goals in 98 appearances as a substitute. The English striker began his professional career at Manchester City before moving to Chelsea. For both clubs, he spent the majority of his time on the bench. However, after joining Liverpool, his career path shifted.
The Reds first employed him as a substitute. However, he was eventually promoted to the first team. Luis Suarez and he created a lethal partnership. In the 2013/14 season, the tandem led Liverpool to a second-place finish.
4. Nwankwo Kanu: 17 Goals
The Nigerian striker is one of the most well-known in the league. In England, he made the majority of his appearances as a substitute. In the English Premier League, he played for Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion, and Portsmouth. Kanu scored 17 goals in 117 appearances off the bench.
Nwankwo Kanu was one of his generation’s super-subs. Arsene Wenger made good use of him during Arsenal’s undefeated season. With his deception, the Nigerian was able to break down defenses.
Thierry Henry and Denis Bergkamp were teammates at Arsenal throughout his time there. Kanu’s position was reduced to that of a stand-in. The attacker was once again deployed as a substitute at Portsmouth in his later years.
3. Javier Hernandez: 19 Goals
One of the best surprise replacements in Premier League history was the Mexican. When Manchester United needed a goal, the striker was Sir Alex Ferguson’s, go-to man. He played for the Red Devils for five years, usually as a replacement. With them, he won many league titles.
Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez made 103 league appearances. He started 49 games and appeared in 54 others from the bench. 14 of his 37 goals came as a substitute for them.
Chicharito joined West Ham United in 2017. The Hammers utilized him in a similar capacity. The Mexican stayed with them for two seasons. Hernandez had a total of 16 goals for them, five of which came as a replacement.
2. Olivier Giroud: 21 Goals
The Frenchman was one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers. He began his career with Arsenal in England. With the Gunners, the striker was a foregone conclusion. He excelled in that role, assisting the club in qualifying for the Champions League on many occasions. With them, he won the FA Cup three times.
After that, Olivier Giroud joined Chelsea. At the club, he was largely utilized as a substitute. However, in his new capacity, the Frenchman once again demonstrated his talent. With the Blues, he became a super-sub and the team’s go-to player when they were down. In the Premier League, the striker came off the bench 103 times. As a substitute, he scored 21 goals for Arsenal and Chelsea.
1. Jermain Defoe: 24 Goals
In discussions of great Premier League strikers, the Englishman is frequently ignored. The former England international is the league’s tenth all-time highest scorer. For five clubs around the country, he scored 162 goals.
With Tottenham Hotspur, Jermain Defoe had his best season. For the majority of his career, he was the first-choice forward for clubs such as Spurs, Sunderland, and Bournemouth. The Englishman, on the other hand, shone as a stand-in. He appeared in 149 games as a substitute, scoring a league-high 24 goals.
Read: Premier League clubs have agreed to have five substitutes from the 2022-23 season
