Player Focus: The Top Rated Substitutes in Europe's Top 5 Leagues

The phrase super-sub has been around for some time now, with a number of players picking up the somewhat unwanted tag having become renowned for making an impact from the bench.

In this piece we look at those with the best WhoScored rating purely in the games in which they were used as a substitute, with a minimum of 10 appearances from the bench last season as a qualifier. The vast majority of our top 10 are attacking players, tasked with going on and changing a game in their side's favour.

We compared each individual's statistics from the bench against their figures from games in which they started, with subs often feeling that they have a point to prove, and from a striker's perspective able to profit from weary-legged defences.

Romain Hamouma made the move to Saint Etienne last summer but failed to cement his place in the first team. He ended up making 11 of his 31 Ligue 1 appearances from the bench, but did manage to contribute even when he wasn't selected in the starting XI. Indeed, 2 of a meagre 3 assists came in appearances as a substitute, and the 26-year old also netted twice after coming on in games. The winger clearly felt he had a point to prove when introduced in matches, completing a dribble every 32 minutes compared to one every 72 minutes when he started.

Cagliari forward Mauricio Pinilla's tally of 7 league goals from 23 appearances may seem modest but when considering that he only started 12 of those matches it was a decent return. Three of the Chilean's strikes came as a substitute, while he also picked up his only assist of the season having come off the bench early in the season against Siena. In turn, the 29-year old's average rating as a sub (6.67) was only marginally worse than the figure he garnered in the games that he started (6.73).

If there was one player last season that was not only a good weapon to have from the bench but perhaps better used as a substitute it was young Dusseldorf forward Dani Schahin. The 23-year old scored half of his 8 goals last season in 15 appearances as a sub, averaging a shot every 27 minutes (compared to 46) and completing a dribble every 24 minutes (compared to 96) from the bench. In turn, he is the only player here to have picked up a better WhoScored rating as a substitute (6.67) than as a starter (6.56).

Xherdan Shaqiri boasted an impressive threat from the bench last season, eventually earning 13 of his 26 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern Munich in the starting XI. The young Switzerland international netted twice and picked up an assist having come off the bench, having scored two goals and registered 4 assists as a starter. However, his impressive figures translated when he started to earn the youngster an exceptional rating of 7.69 in the matches he played from kick-off, picking up a more than respectable 6.68 when coming on from the sidelines.

24-year old attacking midfielder Míchel played in all but one of Levante's La Liga games last season, but 17 of his appearances came as a substitute - the second most in our top 10 here. The Spaniard picked up 2 goals and 2 assists in those matches having amassed tallies of 5 and 6 over the season respectively. His minutes per key pass figure was particularly impressive when he came off the bench, creating a chance every 24 minutes compared to 40 in the games he started, proving his worth in finding the gaps against tiring opposition defences.

Another playmaker forced to make a high number of his appearances from the bench last season was Siena's Alessio Sestu. The 29-year old started in just 13 of his 28 appearances last season, picking up 3 of his 4 assists from the bench. It was his creativity as a substitute that was key in garnering an average rating only minimally worse than in the games he started (6.69 to 6.73). The Italian played just 27 minutes as a sub per key pass compared to one every 86 minutes when starting.

Josuha Guilavogui is the only player on this list that one wouldn't consider to be attack minded. The young Saint Etienne midfielder, therefore, has proven to be a solid replacement as a substitute, making 11 appearances from the bench having played a part in all 38 of the Ligue 1 outfit's matches last season. The defensive midfielder still managed to score twice having come on during games, as well as pick up an assist, having netted just once during his 27 starts, and he averaged a tackle every 24 minutes when appearing as a substitute.

The only Premier League player on this leaderboard is City striker Edin Dzeko, and his rating of 6.70 as a substitute comes as no surprise having netted 6 of his 14 goals from the bench last season. Determined to make an impression under former boss Roberto Mancini, the Bosnian mustered a shot at goal every 13 minutes in games in which he was brought on as a replacement compared to one every 22 minutes when he was chosen in the starting XI. He was often behind the likes of Tevez and Aguero in the pecking order, but will hope for more playing time now that the former has left the club.

Having returned to Napoli last summer after a successful loan spell with Pescara, diminutive forward Lorenzo Insigne played his part in the Partenopei's second placed finish. The 22-year old appeared in all but one of the Serie A side's league games last season but made more of those appearances from the bench than any other player in Italy (21). He made a key pass every 25 minutes as a sub (compared to 40) and remarkably completed a dribble every 17 minutes (compared to 51), equating to 5.3 every 90 minutes in his appearances from the bench.

At the top of the pile in terms of the best rating as a substitute, however, marginally edging out the Napoli man, is Inter's Ricardo Alvarez. The Argentinean was used sparingly under Stramaccioni last season, starting just 12 of his 23 league appearances, but did impress at times. Two of his five goals, as well as his only assist, came as a substitute and he too looked to run at players and exploit any tiredness when introduced in the second half. Like Insigne, Alvarez completed a dribble every 17 minutes as a sub as well as firing off a shot every 19 minutes (compared to 38 when starting), helping to earn him a WhoScored rating of 6.74 in the games he didn't start.