Jhon Duran's start to the 2024/25 season has brought consistent joy to Aston Villa fans, finding a key role as a super sub and winning the club significant points late in matches. The 20-year-old Colombia forward joined in the summer of 2023 from MLS side Chicago Fire and has settled into his Premier League home quite well.
Coming off the bench in each of Aston Villa's first nine Premier League matches of the season, Duran has scored four goals, with three of them proving to be match-winning strikes. While the young Villa striker could be on his way towards a single-season record, Duran has quite a ways to go before he can be considered one of the league's most prolific substitute goal scorers. The Sporting News brings you all the info on who Duran is chasing and how far he has to go.
The Premier League's Most Prolific Substitute Goal Scorers
The most goals by a substitute across an entire Premier League career came from Jermain Defoe, whose 24 super-sub strikes are three more than anyone else. Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud comes next, as roughly 40% of his Premier League appearances came off the bench and he became adept at contributing in such a role.
Single-Season Substitute Goal Records
The most substitute goals in a single campaign by a Premier League player was eight by Adam Le Fondre of Reading in the 2012/13 season. It's two more than anyone else, as three players struck six times off the bench on four separate occasions. Jhon Duran had four goals as substitute in 2024/25 only two months into the Premier League campaign, well on his way to the record. However, he could fall short if he becomes a regular in the Aston Villa starting lineup, cutting down his opportunities to come off the bench and make an impact.
Who Duran Is Chasing and How Far He Has to Go
Duran's four substitute goals in the first nine matches puts him at a historic pace. It's certainly not the most goals off the bench in the first nine matches of the season. Brighton's Danny Welbeck is the active leader in goals as a Premier League substitute with 15, with over half coming for his current club. Marcus Rashford has the most match-winning substitute goals in league history with five, a number that Duran is already over halfway to with three this season alone.
Duran is still a very young player and could easily develop into a more regular starter at some point in the future. However, for now, he is making a significant impact as a super sub. If he can continue his hot streak, Duran could be on his way to breaking a number of records. But even if he falls short, he has already proven himself to be a valuable asset to Aston Villa and a threat to opposing teams.
Conclusion: Can Duran Maintain His Goal Scoring Prowess?
With his impressive goal-scoring abilities, Jhon Duran has the potential to become a legend in the Premier League. While it's too early to tell if he can break the single-season record for substitute goals, his remarkable start suggests he's capable of achieving great things. Aston Villa fans will be hoping that Duran can continue to shine and bring more joy to Villa Park.
Stats up to date as of October 31, 2024. * Active currently for Premier League club
