Best Chelsea Players Ever | Top 12 Legends
Chelsea is one of the biggest football clubs in England as well as in the whole of Europe. The club was established in 1905 and many great players have played for the club in it’s rich history. In this article, let us have a look at some of the best Chelsea players ever.
Considering the impact, consistency, longevity, success, loyalty and fans’ opinion, here are the twelve best Chelsea players ever.
12. Dennis Wise
Coming over to Chelsea as a 24-year-old, Dennis Wise was just about to hit the best stretch of his career. He certainly did go on to spend all of his prime at Stamford Bridge as his stay in West London would last an impressive 11 years.
A goalscoring midfielder, Wise was a terrier on the field, constantly snapping at the heels of opponents in possession and at times when they were without it.
He was made club captain after three years at the club. The midfielder turned out a whopping 445 times for the Blues, leaving him in 8th place in the all-time appearance list. He is, without a doubt, one of the best Chelsea players ever.
11. Jimmy Greaves
Greaves was one of the most prolific strikers this country has ever produced and it all began with an astonishing 132 goals in 169 games for Chelsea – all over the space of just four years.
Jimmy’s goal-scoring prowess was on display early on at the youth level when he scored 51 goals in the 1955-56 season, and more than doubled it the next season with 122 goals in the 1956-57 season.
Greaves turned pro in the summer of 1957. He ended that season as Chelsea’s leading goal scorer with 22 goals in 37 appearances. He went on to accumulate staggering goal-scoring numbers in the seasons that followed.
Even after all these heroics, he was sold to AC Milan and he left Chelsea in some fashion by scoring 4 goals in his last match for the Blues.
10. Kerry Dixon
One of the finest strikers to pass through the club’s doors. He came mighty close of equalling Bobby tambling’s record. Dixon scored 193 goals for Chelsea, falling just short of a club record held by Bobby Tambling at the time.
Regarded as one of the best Chelsea players ever, Dixon was sold to Southampton after spending 9 years with the club. He is still fondly remembered by the Stamford Bridge faithfuls.
9. Eden Hazard
Hazard is one of the most talented players ever to grace the Stamford Bridge turf. The only reason he is not higher up the rankings is because of his longevity with the club.
Equipped with an unparalleled dribbling ability and a surprising amount of strength, the Belgian quickly became a fan favourite. He regularly left opposition full backs in a babbling mess.
In 352 games, the brilliant Belgian scored 110 goals and notched 92 assists, great numbers for a winger. He is easily one of the best Chelsea players ever.
8. Bobby Tambling
Tambling was ruthless on the pitch and a gentle man off it. He was very popular on all fronts. After the departure of Jimmy Greaves to AC Milan in 1961, he was given his chance to shine, and he demonstrated his precocious talent.
Only won the 1965 League Cup during 11 years as a professional with Chelsea, but scored 202 goals, a record which stood for 40 years until it was broken by Frank Lampard in 2013. He is one of the best Chelsea players ever.
7. Ron Harris
Harris played for the Blues for nearly 20 years and was regarded as one of the toughest footballers in English history. Having arrived at the Bridge as a 15-year-old, Harris signed professional terms at the Bridge in August 1960
He was a member of the team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1961. He also captained the Blues as they won the Cup Winners’ Cup and FA Cup.
“Chopper” is still beloved by Chelsea fans, and for good reason. He stuck with the club when they were twice relegated, and would play whatever position was asked of him. He is Chelsea’s record ever appearance maker, representing the Stamford Bridge club an incredible 795 times.
6. Petr Cech
Petr Cech enjoyed an 11-year career at Stamford Bridge that comfortably surpasses all other goalkeepers. He won every major club honour, set a new Chelsea clean-sheet record and became the highest overseas appearance maker in our history.
Cech’s quality was apparent from very early in his career in England. Cech kept 24 clean sheets in 2004/05 and set a then Premier League record by going 1024 minutes without conceding a goal.
He won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Europa League and Champions League before leaving for Arsenal having broken Peter Bonetti’s club clean sheet record. He returned to Chelsea as a technical director of the club, having retired as a footballer in the summer of 2019.
5. Gianfranco Zola
Zola arrived at Stamford Bridge in November 1996, when the club was experiencing something of a revival. Brought in by Ruud Gullit at the same time as his compatriot Gianluca Vialli, Zola was an instant hit at Stamford Bridge.
In his first season, he helped the London club to an FA Cup final win. He was voted FWA Player of the Year. During his time at the club, he won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Community Shield.
In his final appearance for the club, against Liverpool in May 2003, he beat four Reds players with a mazy dribble that drew applause from both sets of fans. Zola played 312 games for Chelsea and scored 80 goals.
4. Peter Osgood
Osgood was one of the most majestic and iconic forwards in the club’s history and is still revered as one of the best players to grace the west London outfit. Ossie is known as the “King of Stamford Bridge” and you can regularly hear his name ring around the ground on matchdays.
Peter Osgood graduated from the Chelsea academy to the first team in 1964 and the hype surrounding the youngster was already immense. A lot was expected of the skinny striker and he sure did live up to the expectations.
In 380 appearances for the Blues, Osgood scored 150 goals in all competitions. He had the uncanny ability to score pivotal goals for the Blues. He scored in the final of both the 1970 FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup the following year – the club’s first title in both competitions.
The club has honoured him with a statue outside Stamford Bridge. We didn’t think twice to put him among the best Chelsea players ever.
3. Didier Drogba
One of Jose Mourinho’s first signings, arriving from Marseille for £24m as a 26-year-old, Drogba was a part of four Premier League-winning campaigns with Chelsea.
The club won the title in his first two seasons at the club. While those two years were not his most productive as an individual as only 16 goals in all competitions in both seasons.
His crowning glory came in the 2009-10 title win where he won the Golden Boot for scoring 29 goals in the Premier League. He had also won the Golden Boot in the 2006-07 season.
The Ivory Coast international earned legendary status by scoring the equaliser and then the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final.
2. John Terry
Very few had that much impact on the club as John Terry. The centre-back captained Chelsea through their most successful period, winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Champions League title.
The ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’, was named UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009. He was also voted the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2005. In his final season at Chelsea in 2017, he became the first-ever player to captain a team to the Premier League title on five occasions.
1. Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is one of the greatest players ever to play in the Premier League. He arrived at Chelsea from West Ham for a fee of £11m and repaid that fee multiple times over.
He is the club’s all-time top scorer and fourth on the all-time appearances list. Super Frankie broke Bobby Tambling’s goal record in his final season at the club, going on to score 211 times – all from midfield.
He was voted FWA Footballer of the Year in 2005. Lampard also finished runner-up for both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He was a vital part of Chelsea’s most successful team ever. With the club, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, UCL and UEL, among other trophies.
Drogba should be higher