Definition of Super Sub

Substitutes have played an important role in the evolution of association football. Substitutions were originally used as replacements for players not showing up, though that changed to the format we know today in 1958. Such a change also led to the role of the "super sub".

Unlike in sports such as hockey, basketball, hockey and American football, once a player is substituted in football, they cannot return to play. So when subs come on, they need to make a difference. Those players who are excellent when coming off the bench rather than playing from the start gained the nickname of "super subs" because they could change games by coming off the bench. This would often mean scoring or setting up equalizers or go-ahead goals once they came on.

Current Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was widely regarded as a super sub back when he played for the club, often coming on and changing games. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez played the same role for United in the late Sir Alex Ferguson era. David Fairclough is widely considered the original English super-sub, having scored 18 times when coming off the bench for Liverpool during the latter half of the 70s. One of the most famous examples of a player coming on and changing a game came in 2015. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich's normal starting striker) came on against Wolfsburg and scored an astonishing 5 goals in 9 minutes.

The term is often given to players who come on and change games by pundits and the media. However, some consider those who can do it regularly for their club or national team as the "true" super subs.