Chelsea’s 5 Most Underrated Players Of All Time

Bobby Tambling, Kerry Dixon, Ron Harris all can be grouped under a single word, ‘Legends’. However, there were several who made things happen all over the field only so that these legends could do their part successfully. This list is dedicated to those players who have been a major part in the history of Chelsea and gave their all for the club, but didn’t quite get the plaudits that they deserved.

5 Most Underrated Players at Chelsea

#5: Clive Walker

Walker spent 8 seasons at Chelsea where he scored 60 goals across 198 League appearances. He was a traditional winger who used to be the nightmare of opposing defenders, filling his opponents with terror quite often. Walker scored perhaps the second most important goal in Chelsea’s history ( nothing Trumps Drogba’s goal in the Champions League final), when he scored a late winner against fellow strugglers Bolton to save Chelsea from being relegated to the Third division and potentially being bankrupt.

He left for Sunderland at the end of the 1983-84 season which saw the younger Pat Nevin take his place on the wings. He soon returned to Chelsea, this time to knock them out of the semis of the League Cup inspiring his Sunderland side to a 3-2 win.

#4: Joe Cole

Cole moved to Chelsea from city rivals West Ham after rejecting a new contract at the East-Londoners. Then manager, Claudio Ranieri saw Cole as a replacement for the departing Gianfranco Zola. The Englishman spent the next seven years with the Blues making 281 appearances and scoring 40 goals in all. Cole was a versatile and technically gifted players who was able to play in a lot of different positions, however, he found his best form on the wings. He won 3 Premier League titles, scoring the all-important goal in the first of them, when Chelsea won 3-0 against Manchester United to seal the title race. He was subsequently named in the PFA Team of the year as well.

Cole suffered successive injuries in the latter stage of his career, which perhaps curbed his overall development, which left many of them feeling that he couldn’t quite reach his full potential that he had shown as a youth player.

#3: Frank Sinclair

The Jamaican is often remembered for his own goals, but he had so much more to his game. Sinclair started his career at Chelsea, turning pro in 1990. He spent the next 8 years at the club making 218 appearances in all. Chelsea was his boyhood club as he joined the Blues as an eleven-year-old. He got the privilege of receiving two FA Cup finals with the Blues, winning the latter one in 1997. He also won the League Cup and the UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup while at Chelsea.

Despite his first-team opportunities being limited over time, with the arrival of Frank Lebouf, Marcel Desailly, and the rise of John Terry, he was always proud to represent the Blues. His consistency and performances when he played regularly was admirable, a quality which earned him the 1993 Chelsea Player of the Year honor.

#2: Ramires

Ramires moved to Chelsea from Benfica in the summer of 2010 for a fee of 22 million, just after Chelsea had won the double under Carlo Ancelloti. Ramires spent 6 years at the club in which he won every single trophy club football has to offer. Ramires made 246 appearances averaging over 40 appearances every season. The Brazillian played in the center or the right side of midfield. He had also played on the right flank where his work rate gave Chelsea an advantage in counter-attacks, a memorable example of this was when Ramires squared the ball to Drogba after racing through the Barcelona defense in the first leg of the 2011-12 Champions League semi-finals.

Ramires had immense work rate and always gave his 100% which was liked a lot by Chelsea fans. The Brazillian also had a knack of scoring beautiful goals. He won back to back Chelsea Goal of the Year awards right upon his arrival. The latter was for his audacious chip over Victor Valdes in the semi-finals of the Champions League which lead Chelsea through to the finals. Ramires was a terrier in midfield who was able to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

Also Read – Chelsea’s 3 Best Goalkeepers Ever

#1: John Obi Mikel

Nobody deserved to be at the top of this list more than the Nigerian, John Obi Mikel. Mikel’s move to England involved a lot of controversy. Manchester United had officially released their statement regarding Mikel’s transfer but this move had bypassed the Nigerian’s agents. Mikel was even presented as a Manchester United player before Chelsea came in with a counter-claim which suggested they already had an agreement with Mikel and his agents. He subsequently moved to Chelsea and impressed then-boss, Jose Mourinho in training.

Mikel was a strong tackler and an elegant passer of the ball, which resulted in him playing as a defensive midfielder for most of his Chelsea career. The Nigerian made 372 appearances for Chelsea in over 10 years with the club. There were some questions over his personality and his discipline in the first couple of years but Mikel managed to put his head down and work hard to make a name for himself.

Mikel was celebrated as a hero back in Nigeria, he was the biggest star to come out of the African nation in over a decade. However big his reputation was in Nigeria, he never threw a fit for being played out of position.

Mikel played regularly as a number 10 for his country but was rarely given the chance to play there for the Blues. Mikel was a symbol of consistency as he made over 30 appearances in 9 out of his 10 seasons in West London.

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