Throughout the history of football, there have been several players that got relegated to the substitutes bench despite their brilliance. Even in instances when they showcase their excellence during the limited time they receive, most managers would still opt for them to remain as subs. This is quite disheartening for any footballer, as they eventually end up being seen as a suber-sub player.
We will be looking at one such player in this article, who spent most of his time on Chelsea's bench despite his eye-catching contributions. Let us rewind Tore Andre Flo's time as a Chelsea player.
Before Chelsea
Tore André Flo began his footballing journey with local amateur side Stryn, before joining Norwegian club Sogndal with his brothers Jostein and Jarle. The forward made his league debut on 17th April 1994 against Norwegian side Tromsø, whom he ironically ended up signing after Sogndal's relegation from the First Division.
It was at Tromsø where Tore showcased the early glimpses of his massive potential, with the Norwegian scoring 18 goals in the 1995 campaign and finishing the season as their top scorer. Those heroics also saw him receive his first call-up and eventual debut for the Norway national side.
The young Norwegian's brilliance saw him snatched by yet another club, as Tore switched from Tromsø to yet another Norwegian side in Brann. He scored an incredible 28 goals in just 40 appearances, and established himself as one of the top strikers in Norway at the time.
He left the club in a mixed state, as fans were unhappy with the player's rumoured transfer to Chelsea and his mind already being in England. Tore managed to score a hat-trick in his final game for Brann before departing to Chelsea.
The Chelsea era
Chelsea paid a £300,000 transfer fee to Brann in the summer of 1997 to sign Tore. The Norwegian scored in his debut against Coventry City, although Chelsea lost that match 3-2. Tore finished his debut Chelsea campaign with a commendable 15 goals, with his most memorable performance being the hat-trick scored in Chelsea's 6-1 thrashing of London rivals Spurs.
The Blues finished the season at 4th in the league, while also clinching silverware in the form of the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup. Tore was especially brilliant in the European tournament, as he scored a brace to help Chelsea beat Real Betis in the quarter-finals.
Tore and his teammates were Challenging for the League title a year later, and the Norwegian ended up scoring 10 goals as well. However, Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli strict squad rotation policy and signing of Italian striker Pierluigi Casiraghi was the beginning of the end for Tore. Chelsea finished the league in third place, which ensured Champions League qualification for the club.
The Norwegian scored 19 goals for Chelsea in the 1999–00 campaign, which made him finish the season as their top scorer. Tore was vital in Chelsea's FA Cup victory, and their progress till the Champions League quarter-finals.
Tore put in an outstanding performance in both legs of Chelsea's quarter-final tie against Barcelona, as he scored in both the matches. However, his efforts went in vain with Barcelona beating Chelsea 6-4 on aggregate.
Things turned from bad to worse for Tore in the following 2000–01 season, as Chelsea signed strikers Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eiður Guðjohnsen. Despite the new competition, Tore put in a masterclass against Manchester United with 2 goals and an assist in Chelsea's 3–3 away tie against Manchester United. The Norwegian was again relegated to the bench despite those heroics, and that was the final nail in the coffin.
Tore finally ran out of patience and he ultimately departed Chelsea to join Scottish club Rangers for a record £12 million transfer fee, which was the highest paid by a Scottish club at the time.
The Norwegian's time at Chelsea was a bittersweet one. Despite scoring 50 goals for Chelsea in 163 games, 70 of those appearances came from the bench. It was a sad ending to what could've been a more memorable stint with the Blues.
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