Peter Crouch makes record Premier League substitute appearance

Peter Crouch made a record 143rd Premier League appearance as a substitute when he came on for Stoke against Brighton on Monday night.

Crouch's 73rd-minute introduction took him past ex-Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi's tally, set between 2000 and 2015.

And Crouch has been effective in the role, averaging a goal every 162 minutes compared to every 271 minutes as a starter.

The former England striker, now 36, has shifted towards an impact substitute role in recent years - eight of his 18 league goals over the last four seasons have come after stepping off the bench.

This season he is yet to start a game, making nine substitute appearances and scoring three goals in 170 minutes. That already equals his previous best tally, set in 16 substitute appearances in the 2014-15 season.

In all, nearly a third (32.6) of Crouch's Premier League appearances in his career have come as a substitute.

That accounts for around nine per cent of his playing time but more than 14 per cent of his goals - 15 out of 107.

He has almost matched noted super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tally of goals from the bench - the Norwegian managed 17 for Manchester United, including four in one memorable appearance after coming on against Nottingham Forest in February 1999.

Solskjaer is alongside former Arsenal and Portsmouth man Kanu on 17 but the top-scoring substitute in Premier League history is another active player - Jermain Defoe, with an impressive 23 goals.

The Bournemouth striker has added four substitute appearances to his tally this season and is just eight behind Crouch's record on that front. His only goal this term came as a starter, though, against Brighton in September.