It’s almost hard to believe that Chelsea are just one year removed from winning the Premier League and the League Cup – yet nearly one-third of the 2015-16 season is complete and at hovering just above the relegation zone.
It’s been 20 years since Chelsea finished outside the top six in the Premier League, but that was when the club had some of their greatest legends playing at the height of their careers.
Here is a look at 15 incredible Premier League legends who helped Chelsea achieve greatness since the formation of the League.
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15. Ricardo Carvalho
A defensive genius who paired well with John Terry en route to ten trophies.
14. Gustavo Poyet
A tough midfielder who scored 36 times in just 105 appearances for Chelsea.
13. Marcel Desailly
The 1998 World Cup winner from France was a star defender for six seasons, winning the FA Cup in 2000.
12. Claude Makelele
Five solid seasons as a defensive midfielder for Chelsea with back-to-back Premier League titles and a trebel to his credit.
11. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
He had a short but successful run at Stamford Bridge, scoring a whopping 70 times in just 136 league appearances – a goal every other game.
10. Tore Andre Flo
One of the best transfer bargains in team history, Flo had three straight seasons with double-digit goals after being acquired for a mere £300,000.
9. Michael Essien
Essien overcame numerous injuries to help the club with nine trophies in eight seasons at Stamford Bridge.
8. Dennis Wise
A member of Chelsea’s first-ever Premier League lineup, Wise won several major cups but fell short of winning the league title.
7. Petr Cech
Behind every great team is a great goalkeeper (or something like that) and Cech was the stopper to some of the greatest defenses in Chelsea history.
6. Ashley Cole
Cole gets a special place in the hearts of Chelsea fans not just for his football excellence, but for depriving bitter rival Arsenal of one of their best defenders.
5. Roberto Di Matteo
A fun-loving midfielder who made 119 appearances for the club and later served briefly as the club’s manager, winning the Champions League and the FA Cup in a 42-game stint.
4. Gianfranco Zola
Zola had impeccable footwork and is still an icon at Stamford Bridge.
3. Didier Drogba
One of the most dominant strikers of the last ten years, Drogba won the Golden Boot twice and had double-digit goals in eight straight seasons.
2. Frank Lampard
He’s the highest scoring midfielder in BPL history and one of the most accomplished players in team history.
1. John Terry
When it comes down to it, there’s John Terry and then there’s everybody else as far as consistency and achievement over the course of an entire career.