Premier League head coaches aim to get their tactics right at the beginning of games. However, sometimes they will need a Plan B if Plan A is not working, and that’s when substitutes come into play (literally).
These can be players sent on in place of an injured or tired teammate. Alternatively, they could be sent on to change the dynamic of a game or even maintain a result. Whatever reason they enter the field, substitutes can be just as important as the starting players in gaining results in the English top flight.
However, which players have come on as a Premier League substitute on the most occasions?
James Milner (204 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
Milner is regarded as one of the most dependable players of the Premier League era. He has had a long and illustrious career in the top flight.
The versatile former England international has made 637 appearances in the Premier League for Leeds United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion. Incredibly, 204 of those top-flight appearances have been from the bench.
Shane Long (158 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The Republic of Ireland forward first appeared in the Premier League with Reading in season 2006/07. Long then also had spells in the English top-flight with West Bromwich Albion, Hull City and Southampton, eventually making 344 Premier League appearances, with 158 of those coming as a substitute.
Although he was a forward, his main strengths were his work rate and pace, so he was often sent on as a substitute to disrupt defences late in games.
Peter Crouch (158 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The popular Crouch gained a considerable reputation for his goalscoring feats both at club and international level. During his Premier League career, the giant forward made 468 appearances and scored 108 goals for Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Stoke City and Burnley.
His goal tally may well have been higher if he hadn’t made 158 of his top-flight appearances as a substitute. Crouch ended his playing career in 2019.
Jermain Defoe (149 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The diminutive forward featured for West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur Portsmouth, Sunderland and Bournemouth in the English top flight, making 496 appearances in the English top-flight, scoring 162 goals.
Like Crouch, the former England international may have more top-flight goals than the 162 top-flight goals he scored if 149 of his Premier League appearances hadn’t come from the substitutes bench.
Shola Amoebi (142 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The Nigerian international Shola Amoebi became a cult hero at Newcastle United. Although born in Nigeria, he moved to Newcastle at five. He came through the north east club’s academy to play in the first team 294 times in the Premier League before ending his top-flight career with four appearances at Crystal Palace.
Amoebi made 142 appearances in the English top flight from the substitute bench, with nearly half of his top-flight appearances coming as a sub.
Theo Walcott (135 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
Walcott made his top-flight debut in season 2006/07 with Arsenal, spending 12 years with the club from north London before a move to Everton. He then spent three and a half seasons with the Toffees before ending his top-flight career at his first club, Southampton.
In all, the winger made 397 Premier League appearances, with 135 coming as a substitute, scoring 80 goals.
Danny Welbeck (132 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The forward started his Premier League career in season 2008/09 with Manchester United. He has become something of an English top-flight stalwart, having also played for Arsenal, Sunderland, Watford and Brighton Hove Albion.
Welbeck has made a total of 347 appearances in the English top-flight, having come off the substitutes bench on 132 occasions, which means over a third of his top-flight appearances have been as a sub.
Carlton Cole (129 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The forward started his playing career at Chelsea in season 2001/2002. Cole also represented Charlton Athletic, Aston Villa and predominantly West Ham United, as he spent nine seasons with the Hammers, retiring in 2015.
In total, Cole made 288 Premier League appearances, 129 of which came from the substitutes bench. The forward scored 52 goals and also produced 23 assists in his top-flight career.
Joe Cole (123 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The attacking midfielder kicked off his Premier League career at boyhood club West Ham United, making his debut in season 2005/2006. Cole later enjoyed top-flight spells with Chelsea and Liverpool and a second stint at former club West Ham before ending his playing career at Aston Villa in season 2015/16.
During his top-flight career, the former England international made 123 of his 378 Premier League appearances from the substitute bench.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (121 Premier League appearances off the substitutes bench)
The former England international had a long career in the English top flight. Oxlade-Chamberlain started his career with then-League One outfit Southampton before switching to Premier League Arsenal in 2011, where he spent seven seasons.
The midfielder joined Liverpool in 2017. He had six years with the Merseyside club before moving to Turkish outfit Besiktas in 2023.
Oxlade-Chamberlain made 235 Premier League appearances, with more than half of those coming from the substitute bench.