Iheanacho’s most subbed on and Iwobi most subbed off Nigerians in Premier League history!
Mikel is dirtiest player, Yakubu the all-time top scorer while Kanu's the assist king
Who has scored the most goals amongst Nigerians who are playing or have played in the English topflight, the Premier League?
Who has made the most appearances and who has been used mostly as a substitute?
Who is that Nigerian player that has been subbed off most in the Premier League and who has provided the most assists?
Here are the answers!
SUBBED ON
Kelechi Iheanacho tops the list in this category. The 26 year old Leicester City forward was subbed on for a record extending 109th time on Boxing Day when Newcastle
came to the King Palace stadium, saw and mauled their hapless host 3-0. The former Manchester City man has started only 70 of the 179 appearances he has amde in the
competition since August 2015 when he made his Premier League debut.
Iheanacho is followed by Victor Anichebe who was subbed on 105 times in the 204 appearances he made while Shola Ameobi was subbed on 76 times in the record 298
appearances that he made.
SUBBED OFF
High flying Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi has been subbed off (87 in 199 games) more than any Nigerian in the history of the Premier League. The 26 year old has been
on fire this season which has accounted fro his figures not hitting the 100 mark yet. This season he has been subbed off just once in 16 games, same as Kelechi
Iheanacho albeit the Leicester City man has made just one start this season.
Victor Moses (80), Mikel Obi (63), Victor Anichebe (62) and Yakubu Aiyegbeni (56) complete the top five.
SHOTS
The Yak is understandably the Eagle who has had the most shots, the most shots on target and of course the all-time top scorer. The former Coventry, Blackburn, Middlesborough and Everton player has had 332 shots in the 252 games he played with 135 on target. Out of the shots on target, he scored 95.
Victor Moses who scored 20 times in 220 appearances had 323 shots with 92 on target while third is Peter Osaze Odemwingie who had 276 shots in 129 games with 97 on target. He scored 36 times.
Kelechi Iheanacho is sixth overall but tops the list among players who are still active in the league with 235 shots in 179 games. He has had 96 on target from which he has scored 38 times.
SHOTS ON TARGET
Among the Nigerian players, especially forwards that have ever played or still playing in the Premier League, none has had more shots on target than Yakubu Aiyegbeni
(135) who interestingly is the most prolific Nigerian in the history of the competition (95).
The Yak, as he was fondly known at the time is followed by Peter Osaze odemwingie (97) albeit he is sixth (36) in the list of all-time top scorers while Leicester
City’s Kelechi Iheanacho is third (96) who is fifth in the top scorers list.
GOALS
Yakubu Aiyegbeni, popularly known as ‘The Yak’, remains Nigeria’s top scorer in the history of the Premier League with 95 goals in 252 appearances for the four teams he played for in 11 years.
Aiyegbeni was one of the three Nigerian players who played or still active in the league to have scored a double figure on their debut seasons. Aiyegbeni, who established himself as a prolific goalscorer during his time in the league, netted 16 goals in his first season in England for Portsmouth in the 2003/04 season.
The 16 goals made him the club’s leading goal-scorer and joint-sixth highest scorer in the entire league. Apart from the former Nigeria international, Odion Ighalo and Emmanuel Dennis are the other two who also achieved such landmark.
ASSISTS
Yakubu Aiyegbeni may hold the record as Nigeria’s top scorer in Premier League history, Arsenal legend Kanu Nwankwo is the Eagles assist king in the league with 29.
Kanu made his name at Arsenal, where he spent six seasons between 1998 to 2004, and later played for West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth.
Though he has only 54 goals to his name over his time in England, creating chances for his teammates was something that couldn’t be taken away from Kanu.
MOST TACKLES
Nigeria has also produced some of the fiercest tacklers in the world’s most popular league.
Leicester City’s combative midfielder Wlfred Ndidi is Eagles’ top tackler with 650 tackles. He won the best tackler in his first full season in the league in the 2017/18 campaign (138). He was also the player who made the most tackles in the competition the following season 2018/19 with 143. He was beaten to the top spot for the third consecutive season by Aaron Wan-Bissaka who made 129 tackles against Ndidi who had 128.
Meanwhile Mikel Obi who spent 11 seasons in the EPL and made 249 appearances is second with 539 tackles.
DIRTIEST
Football is a very emotional game and, this has landed many players in serious trouble, including Nigerians who have played or still playing in the Premier League. Emotions rush into players’ head and referees are also always generous to flash the cards.
Mikel was Chelsea’s wall of defence before the enemies reached the back four for many years.
He threw tackles everywhere, which was why he was Jose Mourinho’s favourite in the defensive midfield position in the Portuguese’s reigns. The Nigerian did his job well as, even as he speedily transitioned from a creative midfielder to a defensive-minded player. On many occasions, he took the bullet for his teammates in the Premier League.
This earned him the award of the dirtiest Eagles player to have played in the league with 38 yellow cards and two red cards.
APPEARANCES
Shola Ameobi is the Nigerian with the most appearance in the Premier League having featured in the league 298 times. No other compatriot comes close.
Nwankwo Kanu, the Nigeria football legend is the second with the most appearance in the English top division with 273 appearances. His six-year stay at Arsenal and subsequent transfers to West Brom and Porthmouth were very busy days for him.
All-time top scorer, Yakubu Aiyegbeni makes the list as the third with the most appearance after managing to play 253 times.
MINUTES PLAYED
Former Chelsea player, Mikel Obi may not have made the most appearances in the Premier League among the Nigerians that have featured in the competiton but the Chelsea
legend has played more minutes than any other Nigerian, dead or alive.
The former Nigeria captain played 16,228 minutes of Premier League football in the 249 appearances he made across 11 seasons. This is 1,383 minutes more than second
placed Leicester City defensive midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi who has played 14,845 minutes in 176 appearances so far.
Third is Victor Moses who played 13,392 minutes in the 220 appearances he made while Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi is fourth after playing for 12,509 in 199
appearances.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni (10,826) and Joseph Yobo (10,252) complete the numbers of Nigerian players who have played at least 10,000 minutes of football in the Englisg
topflight.
INTERCEPTIONS
Chelsea legend Mikel Obi leads in this category with the 374 interceptions he has made in 249 Premier League appearances. He is followed by Leicester City’s Wilfred
Ndidi who has made seven interceptions less (367). With Ndidi still active in the competition, it looks certain he will supplant the former Nigeria captain this season.
Who has scored the most goals amongst Nigerians who are playing or have played in the English topflight, the Premier League?
Who has made the most appearances and who has been used mostly as a substitute?
Who is that Nigerian player that has been subbed off most in the Premier League and who has provided the most assists?
Here are the answers!
SUBBED ON
Kelechi Iheanacho tops the list in this category. The 26 year old Leicester City forward was subbed on for a record extending 109th time on Boxing Day when Newcastle
came to the King Palace stadium, saw and mauled their hapless host 3-0. The former Manchester City man has started only 70 of the 179 appearances he has amde in the
competition since August 2015 when he made his Premier League debut.
Iheanacho is followed by Victor Anichebe who was subbed on 105 times in the 204 appearances he made while Shola Ameobi was subbed on 76 times in the record 298
appearances that he made.
SUBBED OFF
High flying Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi has been subbed off (87 in 199 games) more than any Nigerian in the history of the Premier League. The 26 year old has been
on fire this season which has accounted fro his figures not hitting the 100 mark yet. This season he has been subbed off just once in 16 games, same as Kelechi
Iheanacho albeit the Leicester City man has made just one start this season.
Victor Moses (80), Mikel Obi (63), Victor Anichebe (62) and Yakubu Aiyegbeni (56) complete the top five.
SHOTS
The Yak is understandably the Eagle who has had the most shots, the most shots on target and of course the all-time top scorer. The former Coventry, Blackburn, Middlesborough and Everton player has had 332 shots in the 252 games he played with 135 on target. Out of the shots on target, he scored 95.
Victor Moses who scored 20 times in 220 appearances had 323 shots with 92 on target while third is Peter Osaze Odemwingie who had 276 shots in 129 games with 97 on target. He scored 36 times.
Kelechi Iheanacho is sixth overall but tops the list among players who are still active in the league with 235 shots in 179 games. He has had 96 on target from which he has scored 38 times.
SHOTS ON TARGET
Among the Nigerian players, especially forwards that have ever played or still playing in the Premier League, none has had more shots on target than Yakubu Aiyegbeni
(135) who interestingly is the most prolific Nigerian in the history of the competition (95).
The Yak, as he was fondly known at the time is followed by Peter Osaze odemwingie (97) albeit he is sixth (36) in the list of all-time top scorers while Leicester
City’s Kelechi Iheanacho is third (96) who is fifth in the top scorers list.
GOALS
Yakubu Aiyegbeni, popularly known as ‘The Yak’, remains Nigeria’s top scorer in the history of the Premier League with 95 goals in 252 appearances for the four teams he played for in 11 years.
Aiyegbeni was one of the three Nigerian players who played or still active in the league to have scored a double figure on their debut seasons. Aiyegbeni, who established himself as a prolific goalscorer during his time in the league, netted 16 goals in his first season in England for Portsmouth in the 2003/04 season.
The 16 goals made him the club’s leading goal-scorer and joint-sixth highest scorer in the entire league. Apart from the former Nigeria international, Odion Ighalo and Emmanuel Dennis are the other two who also achieved such landmark.
ASSISTS
Yakubu Aiyegbeni may hold the record as Nigeria’s top scorer in Premier League history, Arsenal legend Kanu Nwankwo is the Eagles assist king in the league with 29.
Kanu made his name at Arsenal, where he spent six seasons between 1998 to 2004, and later played for West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth.
Though he has only 54 goals to his name over his time in England, creating chances for his teammates was something that couldn’t be taken away from Kanu.
MOST TACKLES
Nigeria has also produced some of the fiercest tacklers in the world’s most popular league.
Leicester City’s combative midfielder Wlfred Ndidi is Eagles’ top tackler with 650 tackles. He won the best tackler in his first full season in the league in the 2017/18 campaign (138). He was also the player who made the most tackles in the competition the following season 2018/19 with 143. He was beaten to the top spot for the third consecutive season by Aaron Wan-Bissaka who made 129 tackles against Ndidi who had 128.
Meanwhile Mikel Obi who spent 11 seasons in the EPL and made 249 appearances is second with 539 tackles.
DIRTIEST
Football is a very emotional game and, this has landed many players in serious trouble, including Nigerians who have played or still playing in the Premier League. Emotions rush into players’ head and referees are also always generous to flash the cards.
Mikel was Chelsea’s wall of defence before the enemies reached the back four for many years.
He threw tackles everywhere, which was why he was Jose Mourinho’s favourite in the defensive midfield position in the Portuguese’s reigns. The Nigerian did his job well as, even as he speedily transitioned from a creative midfielder to a defensive-minded player. On many occasions, he took the bullet for his teammates in the Premier League.
This earned him the award of the dirtiest Eagles player to have played in the league with 38 yellow cards and two red cards.
APPEARANCES
Shola Ameobi is the Nigerian with the most appearance in the Premier League having featured in the league 298 times. No other compatriot comes close.
Nwankwo Kanu, the Nigeria football legend is the second with the most appearance in the English top division with 273 appearances. His six-year stay at Arsenal and subsequent transfers to West Brom and Porthmouth were very busy days for him.
All-time top scorer, Yakubu Aiyegbeni makes the list as the third with the most appearance after managing to play 253 times.
MINUTES PLAYED
Former Chelsea player, Mikel Obi may not have made the most appearances in the Premier League among the Nigerians that have featured in the competiton but the Chelsea
legend has played more minutes than any other Nigerian, dead or alive.
The former Nigeria captain played 16,228 minutes of Premier League football in the 249 appearances he made across 11 seasons. This is 1,383 minutes more than second
placed Leicester City defensive midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi who has played 14,845 minutes in 176 appearances so far.
Third is Victor Moses who played 13,392 minutes in the 220 appearances he made while Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi is fourth after playing for 12,509 in 199
appearances.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni (10,826) and Joseph Yobo (10,252) complete the numbers of Nigerian players who have played at least 10,000 minutes of football in the Englisg
topflight.
INTERCEPTIONS
Chelsea legend Mikel Obi leads in this category with the 374 interceptions he has made in 249 Premier League appearances. He is followed by Leicester City’s Wilfred
Ndidi who has made seven interceptions less (367). With Ndidi still active in the competition, it looks certain he will supplant the former Nigeria captain this season.
