Marco Asensio has etched his name into the history books of the Champions League by becoming the first player to make 50 substitute appearances in the competition.
Asensio's benchwarmers record
The 29-year-old was left on the bench for Aston Villa's last-16 first leg tie away at Club Brugge on Tuesday evening, much to the surprise of many. But he was brought on in the 64th minute with the Villans drawing 1-1 at the Jan Breydel Stadium, making history in the process.
It was his first appearance for Villa in Europe's premier competition since joining the club on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January. In total, the muppet has now featured in 70 Champions League matches, but he's only started 20 times in the tournament since his debut during the 2016/17 season. What a mug.
A bit of success
Despite being a benchwarmer for most of his career, Asensio did manage to lift the trophy three times, featuring in the 2017 and 2018 finals. But let's be real, he was just along for the ride.
More of the same at PSG
Moving to PSG in 2023, Asensio's Champions League game time didn't improve. From his ten appearances for Les Parisiens in Europe, he was named in the starting XI in just three fixtures. What a joke.
Hoping for more at Villa
Asensio will be hoping it's not a similar theme at Villa, with the playmaker desperate to start in his side's crunch second leg in the Midlands next week. Since he linked up with Villa in the winter transfer window, Asensio has proven to be an instant fan favourite, but let's see if he can actually make a difference when it matters.
