A cultured midfielder before the term had even entered football's mainstream, Terry Venables was a success wherever he played. Best Chelsea XI of all time Players such as Eden Hazard, Gianfranco Zola, and John Terry and Peter Osgood are synonymous with the image of Chelsea greatness. Similar to William "Fatty" Foulke, Chelsea's first-ever goalkeeper, Paul Canoville is a pioneer. After a slow start to his Blues career, he became a regular and played a major role in their success under Jose Mourinho. The Ivorian has proved one of the Premier League's finest imports and by default, he is one of Roman Abramovich's also. He has been sensational since making his debut against Aston Villa in 1998, rising through the ranks to emulate so many stars before him. Pat Nevin is one of those who would be commanding the type of transfer fee that would make chairmen baulk, but unlike some stars of today, he would be worth every penny. Frank Lampard Didier Drogba Petr Čech Eden Hazard John Terry Gianfranco Zola Ashley Cole Claude Makélélé Michael Essien César Azpilicueta Marcel Desailly Michael Ballack Cesc Fàbregas Ruud Gullit Ricardo Carvalho Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Joe Cole Diego Costa The Dutch ace was a megastar and although he was in the twilight of his career when he arrived in West London, his presence alone introduced a whole new culture at Chelsea. Who's the Best Player in the Premier League? MUST READ – 5 Chelsea Players With Most Appearances #1: John Terry This is the easiest pick of the lot, John Terry is undoubtedly Chelsea FC’s best ever captain. The Dutch ace was a danger man with a capital D and he was feared by most defenders. But just look at his stats—132 goals in 169 games for the Blues. A fine player. All he's done since moving across town is become the leading scorer in club history. Like Marcel Desailly, Frank Leboeuf won the World Cup with France in 1998. it capped off a fine couple of seasons for the centre-back having won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 1997, followed by the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup 12 months later. Our definitive list of the 10 best Chelsea players ever. He was exceptional, helping Chelsea win the Premier League in 2005 and 2006—and doing it all in a very subtle way, scheming in defensive midfield while those in front of him took the glory. His signing was a game changer for the Blues and the Frenchman was a class act throughout his six years in West London. The fact his scoring record of 202 lasted until 2013 shows just how great Bobby Tambling was for Chelsea. In simple terms, it's because the former No. A host of generational players have donned the iconic blue shirt of Chelsea. The Italian joined the Blues in 1999 and quickly dislodged Ed de Goey as first choice. As strikers go, they didn't come much tougher than Mark Hughes during his playing days. It was a major turning point, with Glenn Hoddle taking over as manager, later signing Ruud Gullit before an influx of stars propelled Chelsea to where they are now. Chelsea top scorers. David Webb scored the winner in the 1970 FA Cup, while John Dempsey was on hand a year later to score the Blues' winner against Real Madrid in the Cup Winners' Cup final. November 20, 2013. When … Though they've been around since 1905, Chelsea only has risen to prominence since the dawn of the 21st century. Chelsea have had plenty of I-was-there moments this past decade and Saturday May 11, 2013, is another of them. The Scot was a magnificent talent and not only that, supported teammate Paul Canoville by speaking out against racism in football at a time when footballers found it hard to tackle such issues. Signed from AC Milan in 1998, Marcel Desailly arrived at Chelsea a World Cup winner. At Stamford Bridge, just one statue of a former hero stands and it's telling to the regard with which he is still held that the statue is of Osgood, welcoming fans entering the West Stand. We've said it before, but the late 1970s and 1980s were a tough time for Chelsea fans as the club faced an uncertain future. He has been out due to a … Chelsea custodian during the turbulent 1980s, Eddie Niedzwiecki was one of the shining lights in an otherwise forgettable decade for the Blues. Players on the fringes of the first-team squad were unhappy, hardly a huge surprise in truth. It was a close call between Arjen Robben and Damien Duff as to who would make this list, but the Irishman just shades it on account of his role in one of the finest Champions League games we will ever witness. He was a classy defender and was years ahead of his time with his slick approach to the game. In November 2004, he was awarded an OBE, Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in a special ceremony in Rome. 10. Cooke was a nightmare and there are plenty of his opponents still alive today who carry the mental scars of torment brought on by his talents. Chelsea's most-successful captain, it's slightly giving things away to announce John Terry is the only defender to make our top 10 of Chelsea's all-time 50 greatest players. It was a tough time for the club, with trouble on and off the pitch making for some tense moments. As the first black player in Chelsea's history, he suffered racial abuse from his own fans during the 1980s. Mata is exceptional, a player who makes it a joy to watch and observe football. Hollins was that good and his appearances total of 592 reinforces that. 1 on this list) there are not enough superlatives in the... Frank Lampard. Former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has named the greatest player that he played with. He arrived from Sheffield United in 1905 and spent one season at Chelsea before leaving for Bradford City. The face of Chelsea’s recent success, Terry deserves to be known as the club’s greatest player of all time. Chelsea perhaps didn't realize it at the time, but they picked up one of the bargains of the century. The Liverpool legend's comments have gone down very well with Arsenal fans. This is the list of the best Chelsea players in club history, whether you're talking about strikers and forwards or midfielders and defenders. Take a look at this list and if you notice someone is missing, feel free to add him to this list. Lampard has returned that investment with an astonishing trophy haul, too, which includes three Premier League titles, the Champions League and Europa League among others. The Best Manchester City Players of All Time, Famous Men You'd Want to Have a Beer With, The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Time. If that wasn't enough, he mixed playing for Chelsea with carrying out his National Service, which was compulsory at the time. He was part of Tommy Docherty's young "Diamonds" team in the 1960s and was tipped for great things on the domestic scene as well as international. Showing assists, time on pitch and the shots on and off target. Looked to be Tuchel's most promising player even when they were down, with forward passes and runs. Footballers were tough in the 1980s, but few came tougher than Joey Jones. He spent three years at Chelsea from 2003-2006 and was magnificent in all of them. 20/06/1987. So who is in our top 50? Scorer of the winning goal in 1970 FA Cup final replay, David Webb was also a talented defender who enjoyed a successful career with Chelsea. Chelsea top midfielders? He took over as manager in 1996, signing a host of stars that helped bring the glory days back to the King's Road also. The greatest player that has ever - or will ever - wear a Chelsea shirt. The player Chelsea should never have sold. Asmir Begović. Best Chelsea Jokes - Introduction Thanks for visiting my website and I hope you find these Chelsea FC jokes funny, or at least some of them :) I had a few laughs while researching the best Chelsea jokes and without any further introduction here are some of the funniest Chelsea FC jokes I could find. Chelsea 4-2 Barcelona was an incredible occasion and Duff was influential, scoring for the Blues while also providing the assist for John Terry to seal the victory with his header. Nicknamed The Cat on account of his phenomenal flexibility, Peter Bonetti is Chelsea's most-capped goalkeeper with 729 appearances to his name. There were various players who offered hope, however, and Clive Walker was one of them. The algorithm from CIES Football … The Top 10 Best-Performing Premier League Players In 2021 According To New Algorithm - Flipboard Posted by Steven Green. Silva, 36, has thrived and flourished since his arrival last summer and has been at the heart of Chelsea's improved back line this season. 1, but following Petr Cech's arrival in 2004, he was forced to remain on the sidelines for the majority of his time at Stamford Bridge. Wally Bellett. His performance index is 355 , he scored 4 goals and provided 4 assists. It meant the Blues pulled off the unlikeliest of victories, but they had one man to thank for it and that was Drogba, who played like a man possessed that evening in Munich. Without further ado, here is the Bleacher Report 50 Greatest Chelsea Players of All Time. Attempting to list the greatest 50 players in Chelsea's history was not easy.. After researching the 50 most deserving, it was even more challenging to list them in order, but here it is. Nicknamed The Cat on account of his phenomenal flexibility, Peter Bonetti is Chelsea's most-capped goalkeeper with 729 appearances to his name. It's not difficult because we have little to say, it's finding the words to do his talent justice that remains the tough part. Brought in to replace Barry Bridges as a young upstart, Tommy Docherty gave Osgood 10 matches to prove himself. Defender. He then scored in the League Cup final against the same opposition a year later, before scoring the last-ever goal at Wembley before its redevelopment in the 2000 FA Cup final as Chelsea beat Aston Villa. Pre-Roman Abramovich, there aren't many strikers in the Premier League era at Chelsea who can claim to be as prolific as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. But he proved himself again, scoring freely and spearheading the Blues attack in the absence of Didier Drogba who suffered with injury lay offs and at one time, malaria. Tuchel's appointment changed the mood. A player with a bag full of tricks, Cooke was hard to track and despite giving defenders the run around, their fatigue come the minutes didn't mean they slept well. Didier Drogba spoke to Chelsea TV when he was awarded the Chelsea Magazine Greatest Player award at Cobham. One of England's most-talented right-backs, let alone among Chelsea's finest defenders. In all, Tambling made 370 appearances for the club, with his goals tally giving him an average of 0.54 per game—a fine record in any generation. By that time he was a Blues hero, one of their own and his performances throughout his Chelsea career are still fondly remembered by those old enough to have witnessed him in action. Read More.. Jesper Gronkjaer – Premier League Appearances: 104 | Goals Scored: 7 Those stats say it all, but if you're still not convinced, just remember he scored four goals in his last ever game for Chelsea before leaving to join AC Milan in 1961. Anelka was the ideal striker for Chelsea at the time and played his part as they lifted the Premier League for a third time in 2010, sealing the FA Cup double a week later. Frank Lampard is considered by most as the best Chelsea FC attacking midfielder ever.But who else makes the list of Chelsea top midfielders? Standing at 6-foot-4, he appeared just as wide and was a big presence in goal in the club's early days. He died in May, 1916, aged 42. Loved and adored at Stamford Bridge, Wise's talents weren't as well celebrated as perhaps hindsight suggests they should be, with him picking up just 21 England caps. It's a testament to everything the Englishman has achieved throughout his glorious career. In 1998, John Terry made his debut after getting called up from the youth ranks and in 2001, Chelsea acquired its greatest player when it forked over 11 pounds to West Ham to acquire midfielder Frank Lampard. That's not to discount the business the club did before the new owner rolled into West London. He came close to equalling Bobby Tambling's scoring record of 202 goals, too, hitting 193 before time eventually ran out for Dixon and he was sold to Southampton in 1992. That was the day Frank Lampard not only scored goal 202 for Chelsea, but his second strike against Aston Villa to make it 2-1 on 88 minutes moved him onto 203, thus making him Chelsea's all-time goalscorer. It was one of just five goals he scored, but he proved much better at keeping them out at the other end, becoming essential during his nine years at Stamford Bridge. He enjoyed some great moments in blue, too, notably scoring a hat-trick against fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2001-02. he also scored the winning goal in the first match of the Abramovich era—a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Frank James Lampard OBE (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of Premier League club Chelsea.As a player, he is widely considered to be one of Chelsea's greatest ever players, and one of the greatest … But let's not just remember Canoville for political reasons, he was a fine player also and often showcased his talents on the wing for Chelsea, creating some memorable moments. Early on we decided to set a few ground rules, which are as follows: • Players featured are either those we have been able to watch in the flesh or via extensive highlights footage; • If the above was not possible, then players with considerable stats or historic significance would also be considered; • To give an equal representation of players, we've split the list into each position—goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and strikers—with our top 10 being a free for all. Bosnia-Herzegovina. He had a knack for scoring goals at vital moments and it was his impact, often from the bench, that saw Chelsea fans accept him as one of their own. he was prolific in front of goal, but while he may have been ruthless on the pitch, he was known for being equally nice and pleasant off it. And it was youth, especially graduates from the Chelsea Academy, on which Lampard relied for much of his team. He was nicknamed "Gatling Gun" on account of the ferocity of his shots and there is a weather vane that sits on top of the East Stand at Stamford Bridge in his honor. Is your favourite player missing? 8 possesses. Vote up your favorite Chelsea players ever. We take a look at 5 of Chelsea's greatest footballers. Signed from Porto in 2004, Ricardo Carvalho followed Jose Mourinho to Chelsea. - YouTube. Joining Chelsea in 2006, he has lifted every trophy possible in domestic football, also winning the Champions League and Europa League. Despite Chelsea boasting a host of attacking talent in the 1960s and 1970s, it was defenders who marked their finest moments of what is now rightly seen as a golden era in the club's history. 9's shone brightest. He was voted Player of the Year in 2008 and had it not been for a serious knee injury suffered against Southend United in the FA Cup a year later, we'd probably still be witnessing his talents at Chelsea now. 9 forced to watch from the sidelines for much of 1996-97 following Zola's arrival. He was the first of Chelsea's true "cultured" centre-backs in the modern era and his arrival helped kick start a modern tradition. He lead the Blues to FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup success in the 1970s and nearly 40 years since his retirement is still fondly referred to as "Chopper" by Chelsea fans on account of his committed approach. Seen as somewhat of a super sub, Tore Andre Flo's scoring record at Chelsea was an impressive 50 goals in 94 starts. Didier Drogba did just that when he scored the decisive penalty in the Blues' penalty shoot out against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final. It's been 12 years since, but many Chelsea fans have a glimmer of hope he could return one day in some capacity at the club. All football fans enjoy having a character on the team and Gustavo Poyet was just that for Chelsea. Add to that the fact he was Chelsea manager when they lifted the Champions League for the first time in 2012 and you get the idea of why he features in this list. it's a shame then that he was largely underrated during his career. From that moment he never looked back and a legend was born—one of the finest of them all. 'Some of the greatest players the Premier League has seen have taken time to succeed...' A fine player, an equally fine manager in his Chelsea days, too, Gullit is a proper legend. List RulesVote up your favorite Chelsea players ever. Fueled by Abramovich's billions, Chelsea has bought some of the best players in the world since he's owned the club. 9 was nothing short of majestic throughout his Blues career. It was his gutsy performances week in, week out, that endeared him to Chelsea fans and while he may not have been as naturally gifted as his peers, he more than made up for it with his passion and endeavor. He was one of the greatest examples I followed to be a better player but also a great person outside of the pitch. Media Watch: Blues linked with Odegaard, Manchester United winger admits to supporting Chelsea and Broja opens up on why he chose Albania over England. 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He lived up to his billing, too, scoring his share of goals before being appointed manager in 1998, winning the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup. No goalkeeper has been as successful as the Czech stopper, with him collecting three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and the Champions League during his Blues career. A compilation of some of the best @Chelsea Football Club goals scored in the Premier League. Going back a little further in the Chelsea annals, Frank Blunstone helped the Blues to their first-ever title success in 1955 under the guidance of Ted Drake. Lampard is a phenomenon who is Chelsea's third all-time goalscorer...and he's a midfielder. Currently plying his trade in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy, despite joining rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, Carlo Cudicini remains a hero on the King's Road after his years of loyal service. Where Chelsea are today is as much to do with Ruud Gullit's signing in 1995 as it is Roman Abramovich's vast riches. West Ham United thought they were doing good business when they allowed him to leave for £11 million in 2001, but how they must be kicking themselves now. Former academy players This statistic shows how youth players of this club did later in their career, sorted by the number of matches played in the selected competition. He was an example for all the young players. In our look at the latest Chelsea-related news stories from the media, the Blues are reportedly interested in signing both Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland in the summer and Joe Cole believes Mason Mount can become one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players. By far the most prolific striker in the club’s history, he scored 132 times in 169 games for the Blues. In early 2003, Zola was voted as the best ever Chelsea player by Chelsea's fans. He created an excellent understanding with Peter Osgood during his time at Stamford Bridge and set his teammate up for memorable headed equalizer against Leeds Untied in the 1970 FA Cup final replay. He spent a few seasons as No. Chelsea's youngest-ever captain, it was the financial situation at Stamford Bridge in the 1970s that saw the man they call "Butch" move to Manchester United. He joined the Blues and was suddenly rejuvenated, forming an unlikely partnership with Mark Hughes. Chelsea Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Fulham, London.The club was established in 1905 and plays its home games at Stamford Bridge.. Chelsea have won six top-flight titles. In our look at the latest Chelsea-related news stories from the media, the Blues are reportedly interested in signing Martin Odegaard and Dan James reveals he supported Chelsea as a youngster. The don't come much bigger or better than Drogba at Stamford Bridge. Quite simply the greatest Premier League player ever." While a vast majority of the best players would have been from the Abramovich era (due to more money) we will also select some of the best Chelsea players from before Abramovich. Do you agree? Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has been named as the best player in the Premier League, with Arsenal's Granit Xhaka and Brighton's Pascal Gross also in the top 10. The Icelander had been at Stamford Bridge for six years, making a real name for himself having joined from Bolton Wanderers. He spent four season at Chelsea, but since departing has remained a hero along the King's Road. While many will point to the success of the above players, including Didier Drogba, but there were more players that rest in Chelsea folklore. In his first season with the club, Gullit played Sweeper, Midfield and Forward positions and was right away talked about as the greatest player to ever play for Chelsea. All-Time Greatest Chelsea XI | Zola, Lampard, Drogba! If they're good enough, Barcelona often come poaching a club's players and that's what happened with Chelsea and Eidur Gudjohnsen in 2006. Simply a great striker—one of Chelsea's finest. For a man who made headlines from the moment he first slipped into a Chelsea shirt, there was only one way he was going to bow out of his Chelsea career and that was at the top. The Welshman was a fierce competitor and wore his heart very much on his sleeve. His partnership with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink even resulted in Gianfranco Zola being relegated to the subs bench, with Gudjohnsen proving even too good for the Blues legend. He had helped get Chelsea back to the old Division One, a league where he spent many fine years as a player terrorizing opposition attackers with his unique approach to the game that saw him take few prisoners. With his signing came success, too, with Carvalho playing a key role in the Blues winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. Chelsea's 14 best academy graduates of the last 25 years. Chelsea's greatest ever player cemented himself with that tag by becoming the highest goalscorer in the club's history, overtaking Bobby Tambling with … The Italian signed from Juventus at a time where the Blues were under going their transformation with Ruud Gullit as manager, introducing his brand of "sexy" football. It was a time when stars were few, but the former No. A Premier League winner, an FA Cup winner, League winner and Champions League winner. Over on Ranker, Chelsea fans have voted for the 25 greatest players in the club's history and it's no surprise to see a hefty number of stars from the Abramovich era feature. On a personal level, his finest moment in a Chelsea shirt came in 2012-13 when he headed home the winner against Benfica in the Europa League final. Chelsea FC: 20 Best Players of All Time Gianfranco Zola. He also has 201 clean sheets to his name. One of the first Chelsea stars in the club's early years, George Hilsdon scored 108 goals in 164 appearances—stats that speak for themselves when it comes to his talent in front of goal. Giancarlo Zola, Peter Osgood and Ruud Gullit are among the most popular and famous players who resonate with Chelsea fans due to their penchant for success during their tenure with the club. Best Chelsea midfielders ever. Originally signed as a centre-back in 2008, Branislav Ivanovic has made the right-back berth his own at Chelsea. He was only 21 at the time, but arriving from hometown club Crewe Alexandra a year earlier, he was a key player to the Blues. Lampard surpassed Bobby Tambling's previous record of 202 and while it put him out in front on the scoring charts, it also confirmed his position as Chelsea's greatest player. So he cannot make it in the Chelsea team of late, but there's no denying the impact Juan Mata has had at Chelsea since joining the club in 2011. Currently the best player at Chelsea is Kurt Zouma. England. A knee injury cut his career short, though, but in the 123 appearances he made, he showed Chelsea fans enough of his talent to warrant a place on our list of the club's top 50 players. Not only that, he returned as manager in 1993, helping steer the club clear of relegation. Eddie McCreadie did it all at Chelsea—he won major honors and even managed the club before resigning over a dispute involving a company car. He left Chelsea for Leicester City in 2001, 11 years after he joined the Blues. Subscribe for more ALL-TIME XIs: http://bit.ly/12gLHoRFootball Daily presents the All-Time Greatest Chelsea XI! 1, Cech has been Chelsea's first choice for almost a decade and made over 400 appearances. Allied with some older heads, including Player of the Year Mateo Kovacic, they excited the fans with some big London derby wins and a fourth-place finish, achieved after a three-month break to the season caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He spent eight years in West London and scored 150 goals to put him among the club's all-time goalscorers also. The Italian arrived at Chelsea from Parma in 1996 where, under Carlo Ancelotti, he was having a difficult time playing out wide and feeling unloved. Only, whereas some players of Poyet's ilk may provide a little entertainment but little else, the Uruguayan was different. ... Getty Images/Chelsea FC . Mount is still young, like a lot of Chelsea players and his first season as a regular in the PL has been a success, overall. Goalkeeper. He won the League Cup, FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge from 1959-1979. With 8 shots on goal and a conversion rate of 28.57 % … He joined Liverpool last summer after spending 12 years as a Chelsea player, falling out with the club about a contract dispute. A Champions League winner when he signed for Chelsea, Gianluca Vialli didn't even need to kick a ball before he became a Chelsea hero. Indeed, Zola's form ousted Gianluca Vialli from the starting XI, with the Blues' No. For fans of a younger generation, he was the Eden Hazard of his day. As football fans we often like to imagine the value of certain players from the past if they were still playing today. The Spaniard has been named back-to-back Player of the Year and last year even picked up the Players' Player of the Year award after another fine campaign in Blue. Commenting on Reddit Eye_Seeker said: "Henry made me fall in love with the club. Not many players have a position named after them—Claude Makelele has, though. Any Blues fan growing up in the Eighties idolized Kerry Dixon, with his goals so often helping them escape disaster or come close to glory. He formed an excellent partnership with John Terry and three years since he left for Real Madrid, Chelsea are still searching for his replacement. By clicking "Advanced options", you can adjust the filter and only show players that never played for this club, but other clubs in … Greaves started his career at Chelsea and spent four years there, and although he is not most famous for being a Chelsea player, his place is well deserved on this list, as he is a Chelsea great. He … His personal life and rumors of extra-marital affairs have clouded the judgement of some, but make no mistake, Terry is one of the finest defenders England has ever produced, let alone his club. He had a profound influence on those around him, including John Terry, with his Chelsea legacy going strong today. Centenary Eleven, occupying one of the two forward roles. With the money that came in, Chelsea were able to sign a lot of good players and so now we rank the top 10 Best Chelsea players during the Roman Abramovich era. Chelsea FC. Thomas Tuchel celebrates with Thomas Tuchel (Image: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) The Chelsea dressing room wasn't a completely harmonious place under Lampard. Scorer of the fastest-ever FA Cup final goal at the old Wembley, his strike against Middlesbrough in 1997 set Chelsea on their way to lift the trophy. Such was his impact at Chelsea, the holding midfield role is not often referred to as the "Makelele Role".