5 Footballers who refused to be 'just' substitutes

#1 Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the most prolific goal-scoring forward, from off the bench.

As I'm prone to flying off the handle on every last slider I write, I have again, not disappointed you. Number 1 on this list isn't exactly someone who you can claim wasn't a substitute.

Was he 'just' a substitute though? Heck no.

Ole Gunnar was the super-substitute! The man with the golden touch finish.

In his time with United, the Norwegian came off the bench to score 28 goals, of which 17 came in the league - a record only recently equalled by Olivier Giroud - who himself could've been on this list, as he moved to Chelsea seeking to no longer be 'just' a sub, but his fate seems to not have altered since.

But the real essence of Solskjær is how important his goals turned out to be. The Red Devils need no reminding.

Solskjær spent over a decade at Old Trafford yet was never able to hold down a regular place in the starting XI. Instead of sulking and looking for pastures anew, he buckled-up to come on as a substitute and always had an immediate impact on the team’s fortunes.

Not blessed with the natural attributes of supreme pace and skill seen in prolific strikers, he had an instinctive finishing ability that was probably the best in the league.

Solskjær still holds the Premier League record for the most goals scored as a substitute when he bagged four goals coming off the bench against Nottingham Forest in 1999. However, the crowning moment of his career still remains the winning goal he scored in the Champions League final (also in '99) which won Manchester United an unprecedented treble.