According to sports statistics, Maduka Okoye has been the Super Eagles’ primary bench warmer in Europe thus far this season.
The £6 million summer acquisition from Sparta Rotterdam made his Watford debut in a 2-0 defeat to MK Dons in a Carabao Cup match in August, but he is yet to make his league debut.
The 22-year-old has played in 15 of the Hornets’ 20 league games this season without being used as a replacement, and five times he has been completely omitted from the team’s matchday roster.
According to Transfermarkt, he sat on the sidelines for a total of 1350 minutes, excluding injury time.
Okoye has spent more time on the bench this season than any other Eagles player in the highest division of Europe.
Okoye had a fantastic season at Sparta Rotterdam last year, but since moving to Watford, Daniel Bachmann has taken precedence over him at the club.
He will play for the Eagles against Portugal in an exhibition game on Thursday.
The next player on the list is Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City, who has sat on the bench for the most minutes (974) of any outfield player.
The forward, who has only scored once this season, has played 211 minutes for the Foxes in 10 EPL games across 10 appearances.
Frank Onyeka of Brentford is third on the list after spending 909 minutes this season warming the bench.
The 25-year-old midfielder has 14 times been named to the Bees starting lineup. He has eight replacement appearances but only three starts.
William Troost-Ekong, the vice-captain of the Eagles who will lead them against Portugal next week, has sat on the sidelines for 623 minutes while playing 817 minutes in the 10 games he has participated in this season.
Samuel Kalu, who has spent 378 minutes this season on Watford’s bench, is the fifth player on the list. Since joining the team in January, the former Bordeaux winger has played 97 minutes in eight games.
