The 10 Greatest Super Subs in Football History

Everyone loves a Super Sub. They’re hardly ever good enough to start, but when the going gets tough in a match, you wouldn’t want to see anyone else coming off the bench.

Some players have made a career of saving the day from the bench, and those are the guys we celebrate today. Shout out to one of our lovely subscribers who requested this article in the comments!

Wout Weghorst

Wout Weghorst’s performance against Argentina in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup cemented his place on this list. He came on for the Netherlands with 12 minutes of normal time left to play and his team 2-0 down. He went on to score in the 83rd minute and in the 11th minute of additional time to force extra time. Although the Netherlands ended up losing the game, Weghorst’s heroics will never be forgotten.

His Super Sub performances continued in the qualifiers for Euro 2024, where he came off the bench to score the winner against the Republic of Ireland. At the Euros itself, he came off the bench in the 81st minute against Poland to grab an 83rd-minute winner for the Netherlands. That goal handed the Dutch their only win of the group stage and sent them into the knockout rounds.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Man United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is perhaps the epitome of a Super Sub. The 1999 UEFA Champions League final is a testament to his prowess. Solskjaer came on with just 9 minutes of normal time left to play and scored the winner in the 93rd minute, securing the trophy for Man United and making them the first English club to complete the European treble.

Throughout his time at United, Solskjaer scored 17 Premier League goals after coming off the bench. Only three players have done more than that in the history of the Premier League.

Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud at Arsenal was one hell of a Super Sub, especially between 2016 and 2018. In those two seasons alone, Giroud scored 12 Premier League goals after coming off the bench. That was five more goals than the next best player during that period. Forty percent of Giroud’s Premier League appearances came from the bench, and he ended up scoring 21 goals as a sub. Only one man in the history of the Premier League has more goals from the bench than Giroud.

Luuk de Jong

Luuk de Jong moved to Barcelona on loan in 2021, and the fans weren’t in support of the move at first. However, he soon won them over with his Super Sub heroics under Xavi. Barcelona looked like they were going to lose against their bitter rivals Espanyol, but Xavi threw on de Jong in the 89th minute, and he produced the equalizer in the 96th minute. Two weeks later, he was brought on in the 87th minute against Athletic Club and scored in the 90th minute.

Javier Hernandez (Chicharito)

Javier Hernandez, known as Chicharito, was a Super Sub at Manchester United. During his time at Old Trafford, there were always strikers better than him, so he spent a lot of time on the bench. However, he didn’t mind it one bit. Thirty-six percent of his Premier League goals came from the bench, and he holds the joint record for most winning goals scored by a sub in Premier League history—a record he shares with Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku, and Jermaine Defoe.

Jermaine Defoe

Jermaine Defoe is the only player in Premier League history with more goals from the bench than Giroud, scoring 24 goals compared to Giroud’s 21. Defoe’s Super Sub status was established early on, with six of his first Premier League goals coming from the bench, as did his last ever Premier League goal. A good number of those goals were winning ones, proving his effectiveness as a Super Sub.

Joselu

Joselu’s name brings back memories of the 2014 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Madrid were a goal down and looking clueless until Carlo Ancelotti brought on Joselu in the 81st minute. Joselu scored in the 88th and 91st minutes, dragging Madrid into the final, which they eventually won.

Back in 2015, during his first season in the Premier League, Joselu also showcased his Super Sub abilities. On his debut for Stoke against Spurs, he came off the bench and won a penalty, helping Stoke come back to earn a draw from two goals down. His first Premier League goal also came from off the bench against Everton, where he scored the equalizer in the 85th minute.

Divock Origi

Divock Origi at Liverpool was never a starter, but he understood his role perfectly. His first Premier League goal was a 96th-minute equalizer against West Brom after he was brought on in the 79th minute. In the same season, he scored just 20 seconds after coming off the bench against Aston Villa, one of the fastest goals from the bench in Premier League history.

Origi’s biggest Super Sub performance remains his contribution in the Merseyside Derby in 2018. With the title race tight, Liverpool had to win every game. Origi was brought on in the 84th minute against Everton and scored the winner in the 96th minute, earning him a cult following at Liverpool.

Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Kanu had a cult following at Arsenal, where he was known for being a Super Sub. His first goal for the club was a winner from off the bench against Derby County. He went on to score important goals from off the bench against Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa, and famously an 85th-minute winner in the North London Derby against Spurs. In total, he scored 17 Premier League goals from the bench.

Tim Krul

Tim Krul earns a spot on this list for his heroics in the quarterfinals against Costa Rica at the 2014 World Cup. With the game heading to penalties, Louis van Gaal brought Krul on in the 120th minute, and the goalie went on to save two penalties to help the Netherlands advance to the semifinals. This was the first time in World Cup history that a goalkeeper had been subbed on just for the purpose of participating in a penalty shootout, making Krul the first goalkeeper Super Sub in World Cup history.

Conclusion

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