Ranking the Premier League's All-Time Greatest Super Subs

Mikel Arteta may be attempting to rebrand them "finishers," but the term "super subs" continues to define players renowned for their devastating impact off the bench.

These are the game-changers a manager turns to in desperate need of a goal, players who consistently deliver when called upon. While an honorary mention goes to Adam le Fondre for his record of five substitute goals in a single Premier League campaign, and Hernan Crespo for his impressive goals-per-game ratio, this list focuses on sustained impact throughout careers.

To make the all-time top 10, players need a blend of goals and assists delivered from the bench across multiple seasons.

The Top 10 Super Subs

10. Theo Walcott Theo Walcott, the most substituted player in Premier League history, also holds an impressive record for impact off the bench. Bursting onto the scene as a teenager, his pace and movement were often used to stretch defenses. Walcott amassed 14 assists as a substitute, a tally matched by Ryan Giggs and Marc Albrighton, and scored 10 goals in this role for Arsenal, Everton, and Southampton, placing him fourth in overall substitute goal contributions.

9. Victor Anichebe Victor Anichebe edges out competitors like Divock Origi for his consistent impact. Exactly half of Anichebe's Premier League goals were scored as a substitute, with his tally of 13 placing him joint-eighth all-time. He also contributed five assists off the bench for clubs including Everton, West Brom, and Sunderland.

8. Daniel Sturridge Daniel Sturridge scored 17 of his 76 Premier League goals as a substitute and provided seven assists from the bench. His goal contributions as a substitute were at a more prolific rate than most, with only Edin Dzeko and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer achieving a better minutes-per-goal record.

7. Olivier Giroud Olivier Giroud is second on the all-time substitute scoring list, with 21 of his 90 top-flight goals coming from the bench, nearly a quarter of his total. He honed this ability at Arsenal and Chelsea, making 103 substitute appearances across 10 Premier League seasons.

6. Tore Andre Flo Tore Andre Flo scored 34% of his 38 Premier League goals as a substitute, the eighth-highest ratio for players with 20 or more top-flight goals. He is also joint-eighth overall for substitute goals, adding three assists from the bench for Chelsea and Sunderland, contributing to a goal every 78 minutes on average when used as a replacement.

5. Javier Hernandez Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez boasts a prolific rate of 0.24 goals per substitute appearance, with 36% of his Premier League goals scored after starting on the bench, primarily for Manchester United. He netted on average every 88 minutes when used as a replacement and is among a group of players who have scored five match-winners as a substitute.

4. Edin Dzeko Edin Dzeko scored over a quarter of his 50 Premier League goals for Manchester City as a substitute. His minutes-per-goal rate off the bench is level at the top with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, averaging a goal every 83 minutes. When assists are included, Dzeko's record is even more impressive, with 17 goal contributions in 56 substitute appearances, averaging a contribution every 63 minutes.

3. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is perhaps the most iconic super sub, famously scoring the Treble-clinching goal in the 1999 Champions League final. In the Premier League, he is joint-fifth all-time with 17 substitute goals. His rate of scoring on average once every 83 minutes off the bench is a competition high, matched only by Edin Dzeko.

2. Nwankwo Kanu Nwankwo Kanu made a significant impact off the bench for Arsenal, West Brom, and Portsmouth. He scored 17 goals as a substitute, 31% of his top-flight strikes, placing him joint-fifth on the all-time substitute scoring list. He also provided 12 assists as a substitute, a tally bettered by only three players in Premier League history.

1. Jermain Defoe Jermain Defoe holds the Premier League record for substitute goals, with 24. Remarkably, each of these goals came in different fixtures, meaning he has scored in more games as a substitute than anyone else. Five of these were match-winners. Defoe's ruthless finishing ability made him the player managers wished to see when in need of a late goal, and he also holds the record for England's highest-scoring substitute with seven goals.