Chelsea have a rich history of central-defenders spanning across their 100+ years of playing history as a professional club. The Blues hold multiple defensive records in the League with none being more prominent than conceding the least number of goals in a league season. Here, we’ll see who has been Chelsea’s best Centre-backs.

Best Chelsea Centre-Backs Ever

       5. Gary Cahill

Gary Cahill joined Chelsea from Bolton in January 2012 for a fee of around £7 million when other top 6 clubs were also clamouring for his signature. He went on to make 290 appearances for the Blues in all competitions and winning every single trophy a club-career has to offer, with the Champions League coming in his first year itself.

Cahill was also the official club captain for two seasons post-John Terry’s departure in 2017 before leaving himself in 2019 after lifting the Europa League a second time.

He scored his first goal for Chelsea when he rose above Wes Morgan to head the ball in a 5-2 win over Leicester. Gary was tough as nails and a proper professional with his partnership with John Terry especially brilliant. Cahill was a leader in defence also being extremely efficient in both the boxes. Although he hardly played in the 2018-19 season under Sarri, his departure in 2019 left a hole in Chelsea’s defence as his experience and leadership is something that Lampard could have used.

     4.  Ricardo Carvalho

Carvalho joined Chelsea along with manager Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2004. They had won the Champions League the season before and Carvalho’s performances in the Euros had also been spectacular, this meant Chelsea had to cough up €30 million for his services. He performed extremely well which led to Chelsea’s first league title in 50 years. The Portuguese and captain John Terry formed a formidable partnership which meant that Chelsea went on to retain their League title in the next season as well.

Carvalho had a special connection with manager Mourinho but he continued his excellent performances even after his departure. Carvalho had always been a centre back who stood out in particular for his intelligence, ability to read the game and time his challenges. He was quick, good in the air, possessed a superb technique and good passing ability which led him to be compared to the legendary Italian defender Franco Baresi.

Carvalho spent 6 seasons at Chelsea where he had 210 appearances in all which included 3 league titles, 2 League Cups and a couple of Community Shield honours.

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    3.  Ron Harris

Ron Harris was also known by the nickname “Chopper” as he was a tough-tackling centre-back and regarded as one of the best in his era. Harris played through thick and thin for Chelsea, be it in the First Division or the second. The Englishman made 795 appearances for Chelsea through 18 seasons with the club, a record that has lasted for more than 40 years.

Harris was primarily a central defender in the mould of Bobby Moore and Norman Hunter, but in later years he was often played out of position as circumstances dictated. After the retirement of Eddie McCreadie, he played at left-back for a considerable time and was used as cover at right-back when injuries left the financially struggling Chelsea short of cover. In the closing stages of his career, he also played as a holding midfield player in a role similar to Claude Makelele, providing a screen for a defence that was often caught out by counter-attacks. Over an 18-year period, Harris was rarely out of the first team. During his time at the club, he won the League Cup, the FA Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup.

     2.  Marcel Desailly

Desailly moved to Chelsea in 1998 for a deal worth 4.6 million, where he captained the side while playing as a  sweeper and a centre-back until the end of the 2003–04 season. It was at Chelsea that Desailly formed a formidable partnership with Frank Leboeuf and later, John Terry.

Nicknamed “The Rock”, due to his consistency, strength, and hard-tackling playing style, Desailly is considered one of the most accomplished players of his generation, and one of the finest French defenders ever, who stood out for his charismatic leadership and ability to organise his team’s back-line and break down opposition plays throughout his career. Desailly was tenacious, quick and a powerful defender, who excelled in the air. He combined his aggression, stamina, and ability to read the game with his physical, mental, and defensive skills, with notable confidence and good technique on the ball, which also allowed him to play in the midfield throughout his career.

He picked up one major trophy in his six seasons with Chelsea, being on the winning side in their FA Cup triumph over Aston Villa in 2000.

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       1. John Terry

John Terry is the greatest ever centre-back to ever play for Chelsea in the entirety of their history. Terry moved to Chelsea aged 14 and left with 717 appearances and 5 League titles 21 years later. He won a record 5 League titles as captain in the Premier League history.

Terry was a strong, tenacious, and physical defender, who was known for his tough and uncompromising style of play. He usually played as a centre-back, although he initially started out playing as a midfielder in his youth. A tall defender, he excelled in the air, which also made him a goal threat for his team despite his defensive playing role. Although he was primarily known for his aggressive tackling, he was also an intelligent player, who was recognised by pundits for his positioning and anticipation, as well as his ability to read the game, which compensated for his lack of pace or athleticism, in particular in his later career; he also stood out for his leadership throughout his career.

Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world at his peak, he is considered to be one of the greatest central defenders of his generation, as well as one of the best English and Premier League defenders ever.

Terry was a big presence in both the boxes and this ability of his earned him the title of the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history. His best moment at the club would have been taking his boyhood club to the ultimate glory of winning the Champions League.

Notable mentions who were the top contenders for All-time Greatest Chelsea Centre-backs:

• David Luiz
• David Webb
• Kurt Zouma