Chelsea All-Time team for British isles (excluding England)

Damien Duff 

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal,
Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Everton,
Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, 
Leeds United, Leicester City.

Chelsea All-Time Team for Foreign Players
Chelsea All-Time Team for English Players


This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Chelsea had their first major success in 1955, when they won the league championship. They then won various cup competitions between 1965 and 1996. The club's greatest period of success has come during the last two decades; winning 17 major trophies, and 21 in total, since 1997. Chelsea have won five national league titles, seven FA Cups, five League Cups and four FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Super Cup. Chelsea are the only London club to win the UEFA Champions League,[6] and one of four clubs, and the only British club, to have won all three main UEFA club competitions.

Eddie McCreadie 

Team
GK: Eddie Niedzwiecki (Wales)
Eddie Niedzwiecki started his playing career with Wrexham at the age of 14.  He won the Third Division title of 1978 with the side. In 1983, he signed for Chelsea by former Wrexham manager, John Neal, helping them to win the promotion in his first season.  He stayed with them until 1988.  He retired at the age of 28. He is of Polish descent, but born in Wales.  From 1985 to 1987, he was capped twice by Wales.

Eddie Niedzwiecki

GK: Bill Robertson (Scotland)

Born in 1928, Robertson played for Chelsea from 1946 to 1960.  He was a goalkeeper, playing in 26 matches in the 1954–55 season, when Chelsea won the First Division championship.   Charlie Thomson played a part of the season.  He left for Leyton Orient in 1960 before the emerge of Peter Bonetti. From 1960 to 1963, he played for Leyton Orient.  

GK: John Philips (Wales)

Phillips started out with Shrewsbury Town, before transferring to Aston Villa at the age of 18.  He joined Chelsea in 1970. He spent the majority of his career with Chelsea as the long-term understudy to Peter Bonetti.  Later, he had brief spells with Crewe Alexandra, Brighton & Hove Albion, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and Sea Bee in Hong Kong. He also won 4 caps for Wales. 

RB: Steve Clarke (Scotland)

Clarke started his career with St Mirren.  He was transferred to Chelsea in 1987.  He stayed at Chelsea until 1998, making 421 appearances. He was a part of the Chelsea sides which won the 1997 FA Cup Final, 1998 Football League Cup Final and 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final.  In 2005 he was voted into Chelsea's centenary XI, occupying the right-back berth.  Capped 6 times.

CB/FB: George W Smith (Scotland)
Born in Parkhead, Glasgow, George Smith started out with his local side Parkhead F.C., before enjoying a long career with Chelsea from 1921 to 1932.  He made his Chelsea's debut against Blackburn Rovers in 1921 at the age of 21. He played around 370 games for them. In 1932, he joined East Fife in Scotland.

CB: John Harris (Scotland)
Harris was the son of former Scottish international Neil Harris. In the beginning of his career, he played for Swindon Town, Swansea Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton during the war years. In 1945, he signed permanently for Chelsea and became their first captain after the War.  He was a member of Chelsea's 1954–55 First Division-winning side.  He earned two wartime cap for Scotland.

John Harris 

CB: Jack Dempsey (Ireland)
Started with Fulham, he moved to Chelsea in 1969.  He won the FA Cup in 1970 and won the Cup Winners' Cup a year later in which.  he scored the opening goal.  He moved to the Philadelphia Fury of the NASL, playing alongside fellow ex-Chelsea star Peter Osgood.  In 1979, he was voted the NASL's defender of the year, beating out Franz Beckenbauer who finished second.

CB: Joe McLaughlin (Scotland)
McLaughlin started his playing career with Greenock Morton in 1977.  In 1983, he joined Chelsea, winning the Second Division championship in his first season. He would go on to play for Chelsea until 1989 winning another Second Division championship as well as the Full Members Cup. He was then transferred to Charlton Athletic for £650,000 which at that time made him Charlton's record transfer.  He also played with Watford and Falkirkl, Hibernian, Clydebank and then St Mirren.

 Joe McLaughlin 

LB: Tommy Law (Scotland)
Law signed for David Calderhead's Chelsea as a junior from local club Bridgeton Waverley and made his debut for the club in 1926. He was one of the less glamorous, members of a star-studded side which included his Scottish teammates, Hughie Gallacher, Alex Jackson, Willie Ferguson and Andy Wilson. Law won two caps for Scotland, both against England. He made his debut during Scotland's famous "Wembley Wizards" 5-1 win over England at Wembley in 1928.

LB: Eddie McCreadie (Scotland)
McCreadie joined Chelsea in 1962.  He scored a memorable winner in the League Cup final of 1965 in which he dribbled 80 yards up the pitch before slotting the ball past Leicester City goalkeeper Gordon Banks.  He also won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 1970. The side won the Cup Winners' Cup the following season, but McCreadie missed the final in Athens through injury. Earned 23 caps between 1965 and 1969.

LB/RB: Joey Jones (Wales)

Jones played with Wrexham in 1971.  He joined Bob Paisley's Liverpool in July 1975.   He became the first Welshman to receive a European Cup winners medal when Liverpool won their first European Cup in 1977.  He returned to Wrexham before joining Chelsea in 1982.  He was a part of the side that won the Second Division champions in 1983–84.  From 1975 to 1982, he played 72 times for Wales.

DM: Peter Nicholas (Wales)
Nicholas played for many clubs.  He spent five seasons with Crystal Palace, picking up the Second Division title in 1978-79.  With Arsenal, he was remembered for going in goal after Pat Jennings was injured.  He also played for Watford, Chelsea and Aberdeen.  From 1979 to 1992, he was capped 73 times for Wales.

DM: John Boyle (Scotland)

Boyd came from Chelsea's academy.  He was the hero of the 1965 League Cup Final during his professional debut season.  He scored the winning goal against Leicester Town. He stayed with Chelsea until 1973, where he also won the Cup Winners' Cup playing in both matches in the Final.  In 1973, he moved to Orient.  In 1975, he joined Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL.

CM:  Ian Britton (Scotland)
Britton started his career with Scottish amateur side Hillside Rangers. He joined Chelsea in the summer of 1971. He was a key part of manager Eddie McCreadie's young side, alongside the likes of Ray Wilkins, Steve Finnieston and Tommy Langley, which won promotion back to the top flight in 1976–77.  He also had a long career with Blackpool and Burnley.

AM: Craig Burley (Scotland)
Craig Burley played in the Premier League for Chelsea and Derby County and in the Scottish Premier League for Celtic. He also played for Dundee and finished his career in the Football League with Preston North End and Walsall. He earned 46 caps for Scotland, scoring 3 goals.  He went to the European Championship in 1996 and the World Cup Finals in 1998.

CM: Andy Townsend (Ireland)
Townsend played 70 times for Ireland.  He went to both World Cup Finals in 1990 and 1994.  He was a key player for both Finals, and was the captain of the team in 1994.  He played for many clubs in England, but most notably with Norwich, Chelsea and Aston Villa. He  won won the 1994 and 1996 League Cup with Aston Villa. He captained the 1996 side. On 22 March 2015, Townsend was inducted into the FAI Hall of Fame.

RW/LW: Charlie Cooke (Scotland)
Cooke began his professional career with Aberdeen in 1960 and moved to Dundee in December 1964, where he was voted player of the year. He signed for Chelsea in 1966 for a then club record of £72,000 as part of manager Tommy Docherty's restructuring of the Chelsea side.  He also won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 1970. The side won the Cup Winners' Cup the following season.  He earned 16 caps for Scotland.

Charlie Cooke 

RW/LW: Bobby Campbell (Scotland)

A winger, Campbell's playing career consisted of spells with Falkirk, Chelsea and Reading. He also played for Queens Park Rangers as a "guest" during the Second World War. He won five caps for the Scotland national team, between 1947 and 1950. He scored his only Scotland goal against Switzerland in April 1950.

LW: Pat Nevin (Scotland)
In a 20-year career, Pat Nevin played for Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell as a winger.  He played with Kerry Dixon in the 1980's with Chelsea. He was the Chelsea Player of the Year: 1983–84, 1986–87.  He joined Everton in 1989, but never recaptured the form at Chelsea.  He was capped 28 times for Scotland between 1986 and 1996, but only managed to attend the European Championship in 1992.

Pat Nevin

LW: Damien Duff (Ireland)

Duff won two Premiership titles with Chelsea with Chelsea in  2004–05 and 2005–06.  After four seasons at Stamford Bridge, he left for Newcastle United where he won the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup, and then moved on to Fulham, with whom he played in the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final. For Ireland, he was capped 100 times. He was remembered for his performance at World Cup 2002 and captained Ireland at Euro 2012.

FW/AM/IF: Johnny McNichol (Scotland)

McNichol joined Brighton in the Third Divsion from Newcastle United in 1945 before making a big move to Chelsea . He won the League championship in the 1954–55 season. In 1958 he joined Crystal Palace, whom he captained to promotion from the Fourth Division, and finished his on-field career in the Southern League as player-manager of Tunbridge Wells Rangers. 

ST: Hughie Gallacher (Scotland)

Hughie Gallacher is one of the Scotland 's most prolific goalscorers with 24 goals from his 20 internationals, a remarkable strike rate of more than a goal a game. Gallacher was one of the Wembley Wizards who beat England 5–1 at Wembley Stadium in 1928. He played for many clubs, but he was probably remembered for playing for Newcastle United, Chelsea and Derby.  He scored over 450 goals while playing in the English league during the 1920's and 1930's.  

Hughie Gallacher 

ST: David Speedie (Scotland)
Speedie played for several clubs in England during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably Chelsea, Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. In 1986, he became the first senior player since Geoff Hurst in the 1966 World Cup final to score a hat-trick at Wembley, as Chelsea defeated Manchester City 5–4 in the Full Members Cup final.  He played with Kerry Dixon and Pat Nevin on one of Chelsea's great forward line.

ST: Andrew Wilson (Scotland) 
Wilson's early career was interrupted by the First World War during which his left hand and forearm were shattered by enemy fire.  From 1923 to 1931, he played for Chelsea.  He also played for Middlesbrough, Heart of Midlothian, Dunfermline Athletic, Queens Park Rangers and Sporting Club Nîmois.  Wilson was capped 12 times by Scotland between 1920 and 1923; he averaged more than a goal per game with 13 goals. He scored another four in two unofficial wartime international.

ST: Mark Hughes (Wales)
Mark Hughes was best remembered for his spells with Manchester United.   He won two Premier League title medals, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two European Cup Winners' Cups. He was the first player to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1991. Hughes also played for  Barcelona, Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and Blackburn Rovers. He had 72 caps for Wales b etween 1988 and 1994.

Mark Hughes 

Honorable Mention
Neil Sullivan (Scotland), Chick Thompson (Scotland), John Jackson (Scotland), Mal Donaghy (N.Ireland), Gareth Hall (Wales), Danny Winter (Wales), Jock Cameron (Scotland), Dick Whitaker (Ireland), Vinnie Jones (Wales), Alec Jackson (Scotland),  Alec Cheyne (Scotland), Gordon Durie (Scotland), Steve Finnieston (Scotland), Willie Ferguson (Scotland),  Kevin McAllister (Scotland), George Graham (Scotland), John Spencer (Scotland), Peter Buchanan (Scotland), Tommy Walker (Scotland),  Kevin Wilson (N.Ireland), Joe Bambrick (N.Ireland).

Squad Explanation

-- The original team was created in 2019.  I did a review of this team on December, 2024 after I redid my Chelsea All-Time team.

-- Five players were on my original All-Time Chelsea team.  They are Pat Nevin, Charlie Cooke, Jack Dempsey, Steve Clarke and Eddie McCreadie.   However, after my review of the team in 2024, only two players remained on that team.  They were Pat Nevin and Charlie Cookie.

 -- I studied various lists or All-Time Best XI. In 2005, Chelsea's Centenary XI was chosen via an online poll on the club's official website, with only Charlie Cooke and Steve Clarke making the cut for their Best XI. The 90min.com's compilation of the 25 Best ever Chelsea players included Charlie Cook, who ranked 24th and was the sole player from the British Isles outside of England.  

-- While Pride of London revealed Chelsea's Best Ever XI and a list of the 10 Greatest Chelsea players of All-Time, none of the players were eligible for selection in either roster. Likewise, FourFourTwo's top 10 Chelsea players of all time and the Chelsea Chronicle's Top 10 Legends of the club did not include any eligible players.  Moreover, none of the players made it to Chelsea's Best Ever  XI and a list of their 10 Greatest Chelsea player of All-Time from the website Pride of London.

-- In the 1930s, Chelsea embarked on an ambitious signing spree, acquiring several Scottish players from the renowned "Wembley Wizards" team that had famously triumphed over England with a 5-1 victory in 1928. Among these Scots were Hughie Gallacher, Alex Jackson, Tommy Law, Willie Ferguson, and Andy Wilson. Despite the hype surrounding their signings, the team ultimately fell short of expectations, failing to secure any trophies during their time at Chelsea.

-- Only four played in the Preimership era. Craig Burley, Damian Duff, Mark Hughes and Andy Townshend.  Duff was the only player who played for Roman Aramovich.  

-- The roster of their two Champions League winning years consisted of a single player who were eligible for this team.  Billy Gilmour was a bench player on the 2021 team.

Goalkeepers

-- Almost all of Chelsea's good keepers in the Premiership's era are foreigners.  Eddie Niedzwiecki was probably one of Chelsea's best keepers before the Premiership.  He helped Chelsea for a promotion in the 1983-1984 season.  He was the only goalkeeper of note who were eligible for this team.

-- Bill Robertson started many games in the 1954–55 season, when Chelsea won the First Division championship.  Chick Thomson (Scotland) took over from him at the end of the season after Robertson was injured, but Robertson regained his starting position the following season. He took the second spot.  Apart from the two, it was different to pick a third goalkeeper.  John Phillips was mainly a backup keeper fopr Peter Bonetti.  However, he played over 120 matches for Chelsea.

John Jackson was a great keeper of his time, but he played behind Vic Woodley.  I selected Philips for the number of his appearances for the club.

-- Neil Sullivan (Scotland) only made 8 appearance for the club.

Defenders

-- CB John Dempsey scored the winning goal at the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971.  His place in Chelsea's history was sealed.  RB Steve Clarke and LB Eddie McCreadie also played on that team.   Clarke was was voted into Chelsea's centenary XI in 2005. He spent 12 seasons over here. McCreadie scored a great winning goal in the League Cup final of 1965 against Leicester City and Gordon Banks.  CB John Harris was Chelsea's first captain after the War.  He played over 300 games for the club.  They were the backbone of the defenders.  This four were the most famous defenders eligible for this team.  

John Dempsey

-- Joe McLaughlin was almost the only central defender eligible for this team with significant playing minutes who played for the club.  -- George W. Smith of Scotland was a star fullback during the 1920's.  He crossed path with George H. Smith in Chelsea.  He was a leftback from England who only spent a season in Chelsea.  However, I did not know the exact position of George W. Smith. Nevertheless, the fullback position in the 1920's and 1930's was more of a central defender.  Both the Pyramid (2–3–5) and the WM formation, which were popular during that era, required players to play centrally. So I put him as a central defender in the absense of a suitable candidates.  Meanwhile, Tommy Law who was one of Wembley Wizards also should be a central defender in the modern game.  Law played his entire career for Chelsea.  He played alongside other Scottish stars at the time Hughie Gallacher, Alex Jackson, Willie Ferguson and Andy Wilson for both club and country.  Mal Donaghy (N.Ireland) also played that position, but he was more of a fullback.  So, I did n ot consider him.

-- As mentioned, I first took Steve Clarke as my first rightback.  Paddy Mulligan made a substitute appearance in the 1971 Cup Winners’ Cup against Real Madrid, but apart for this highlight, his career did not standout here.  So, I would use Joey Jones as the backup leftback. He started his career as a right back but became famous as a left back for Liverpool. During his time at Chelsea, he initially played as a right back until John Hollins rejoined the team, leading Jones to switch to the left back position following Chris Hutchings' injury. He cpould cover both sides of the fullback position for this team.  Despite being considered an aging player past his prime when he joined Chelsea, Jones played an instrumental role in the club's promotion to the top flight and remained a beloved cult hero during his tenure.

-- Eddie McCreadie would be the starting leftback.  As mentioned above, the team would also have Joey Jones and Tommy Law.

-- I knew nothing much about Jock Cameron, but I have enough fullbacks.  So I only put him on honorable mention.

-- Initially, this team appeared unbalanced with five fullbacks and three central defenders. However, many players had the versatility to adapt to various positions. Specifically, there were two players capable of playing on either side of the fullback position and five players suited for central roles.

Midfielders

-- Scotland and Ireland have produced several renowned defensive midfielders known for their toughness and tenacity on the field, but Chelsea lacked good candidates for this position. Andy Townsend, who spent three seasons at Chelsea, gained fame for representing of Ireland during their impressive run in international football at the same time. Ian Britton who played alongside Ray Wilkins in the 1970's helped Chelsea to gain promotion in 1977.  This side was known for their homegrown talents and youthfulness.  He was more of an attack midfielder.

Andy Townshed

-- In his career, Bill Dickson played as a right-half, left-half and a centre-half.  He was plagued by injuries throughout his career.  However, in 1951, he began to represent North Ireland when he was playing for Chelsea. He also played for London XI  in 1953.

-- Peter Nicholas, a standout player at Crystal Palace during the 1980s, when the club was competing against Chelsea in the second division, faced disapproval from Chelsea fans for his signings in 1988.  However, he would captain Chelsea as they won the 1990 Full Members' Cup.  He was the second Chelsea captain to lift a trophy in Wembley.  John Boyle scored the winning goal in the 1965 League Cup Final. It was his first season, and he went onward to play over 260 times for Chelsea.  

-- Vinnie Jones played a single season in Stamsford Bridge.  He was more famous than any of the defensive midfielders or defenders on this team due to his acting career.

-- AM Craig Burley had a long career in Chelsea, but was mainly a backup.  Because of the lack of attack midfielders on the team, I seriously considered him.  He was a big question mark for this team.  

-- On the right wing, I first took Charlie Cooke who played with Peter Osgood in the 1970's.   In 2005, he was chosen for Chelsea's Centenary XI in an online poll in 200.  In 90min.com's list of the 25 Greatest Chelsea players, he claimed the 24th spot.

-- Bobby Campbell could play both side of the wing, but predominantly was known as the right winger who set up Roger Bentley's goals. However, he was sold to Reading the season before Chelsea won their first league in 1955.  To avoid confusion, he should not be mistaken for Bobby Campbell of England, who coached Chelsea from 1988 to 1991.  I do not have a spot for Alex Jackson 

-- Pat Nevin played with Kerry Dixon in the 1980's with Chelsea. He was the Chelsea Player of the Year: 1983–84, 1986–87.   While Damien Duff's career in Chelsea was affected by the presence of Arjen Robben, he remained a key player in his time here.  In fact, Jose Mourinho moved him to the right wing where he played alongside Robben. Pat Nevin and Damien Duff kept Willie Ferguson off the team.  They were left wingers.

Forwards

-- David Speedie was renowned for his partnership with Kerry Dixon and winger Pat Nevin. In 1986, he achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first senior player since Geoff Hurst in the 1966 World Cup final to score a hat-trick at Wembley. This occurred during Chelsea's 5–4 victory over Manchester City in the Full Members Cup final.

David Speedie

-- Mark Hughes played a vital role in Chelsea's late 1990s revival, partnering effectively with Gianfranco Zola and sidelining Gianluca Vialli. He delivered decisive performances against Liverpool, Wimbledon in the FA Cup in 1997, and Vicenza in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1998, contributing significantly to Chelsea's success in both tournaments.

-- Hughie Gallacher netted 81 goals in 144 matches, consistently becoming Chelsea's top scorer throughout his four seasons. Nevertheless, he departed without securing any silverware during his tenure.

-- Johnny McNichol was an inside forward, which was probably an attack midfielder or a second striker.  He was credited as one of the best players for Chelsea as they won the league title in 1955. I took him over Joe Bambrick.

-- George Graham played at Chelsea for just two seasons, but he scored 40 goals for the club before moving to Arsenal in 1966. However,  he was more of an Arsenal legend because his success over there as both a player and a manager.  Tommy Cascarino (Ireland) only spent a short time here.  His stint here was plagued with injuries and disappointments.

Formation

Chelsea All-Time Team for English players

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Joe Cole, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.


Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal,
Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Everton,
Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, 
Leeds United, Leicester City.

Chelsea All-Time Team for British Isles (Excluding England)
Chelsea All-Time Team for Foreign Players

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Chelsea's English players. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Chelsea had their first major success in 1955, when they won the league championship. They then won various cup competitions between 1965 and 1996. The club's greatest period of success has come during the last two decades; winning 17 major trophies, and 21 in total, since 1997. Chelsea have won five national league titles, seven FA Cups, five League Cups and four FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Super Cup. Chelsea are the only London club to win the UEFA Champions League,[6] and one of four clubs, and the only British club, to have won all three main UEFA club competitions.

Ron Harris and Peter Osgood

Team
GK: Peter Bonetti 
Nicknamed as "the Cat", Bonetti was a legend at Chelsea. His finest moment came in the Final of the FA Cup in 1970 where his heroic play helped Chelsea to win the FA Cup. He was the FWA Player of the Year runner-up that year.  However, he only earned 7 caps for England.  his career was limited by playing with Gordon Banks at the same time. He was Banks' backup in the World Cup 1966.

GK: Vic Woodley

Vic Woodley signed for Chelsea in 1931, making his debut the same year. Woodley was a member of the glamorous Chelsea side of the 1930s, playing alongside the likes of Hughie Gallacher, Alex Jackson and Alec Cheyne. He played a single season for Derby in 1946. Woodley won nineteen caps for England - all consecutive, a record at the time - and in an era when there was stiff competition from Harry Hibbs, George Tweedy and Frank Swift. 

Vic Woodley

GK: William Foulke

Foulke was renowned for his great size and weight, reaching perhaps 152 kg (336 lb) at the end of his career, although reports on his weight vary. He played four first-class matches for Derbyshire County Cricket Club in the 1900 season, but is remembered primarily as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United although he later played for Chelsea and Bradford City. In 1897, he played for England once.

RB: Peter Sillett 
Peter Sillet was the son of Charlie Sillett, a fullback who also played for Southampton.  He played with Southampton until 1953 when he joined Chelsea along with his brother John. He was the club's highest scoring defender until John Terry broke the record.  He won the League title in the 1954-1955 season.   He went to the World Cup Finals in 1958.

RB: David Webb

David Webb played for Leyton Orient, Southampton, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Derby County, A.F.C. Bournemouth and Torquay UnitedIt was with Chelsea that Webb really made his name in football, in particular for his role in Chelsea's win in the 1970 FA Cup final against Leeds United and  the European Cup Winners Cup.  He also had a long career with Queens Park Rangers between 1974 and 1977.

CB: Gary Cahill
Cahill joined Burnley in 2004 on a season-long loan, where he performed well before returning to make his Aston Villa debut. He played with Sheffield United and Bolton Wanderers before Cahill signed for Chelsea in 2012.  He won the Champions League in his debut season. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year. Cahill is an England international with over 60 caps and went the World Cups of 2014 and 2018, and the European Championship in 2012 and 2014.

Gary Cahill

CB: Colin Pates
Pates began his career with Chelsea, making his debut as an 18-year-old in 1979. He remained with Chelsea through the turbulent early 1980s and as club captain led the side to promotion in 1983–84. He was surprisingly sold to Charlton Athletic in 1988.  He later played with Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion. He represented England in the youth level.

CB: Ron Harris 
Known by the nickname "Chopper", Harris played for Chelsea between 1961 and 1980. Harris is widely regarded as one of the toughest defenders of his era.   He captained Chelsea as it won the FA Cup in 1970.  Then, he helped Chelsea to win the European Cup Winners' Cup a year later in 1971, Chelsea's first ever trophy in Europe.  He finally left Chelsea in 1980 to become a player-coach at Brentford. He retired in 1983.

CB: John Terry 
John Terry is a top centre-back of his generation and was the captain for Chelsea during most of his Chelsea's rise to the top of English football starting in the season 2004-2005.  He won 4 Premiership titles and the Champions League in 2012.  Terry was named PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2005. For England, he earned 78 caps for England.  However, his career was overshadowed by several controversies.

John Terry

LB: Ashley Cole 

Ashley Cole was considered one of the finest leftbacks of his generation.  He was voted the England Player of the Year in 2010. He played in 3 World Cup Finals.  He is also England's most-capped full-back in history with 104 caps.  He played with Arsenal, but moved to its rival Chelsea in 2006.  In 2014, he moved to AS Roma in Italy.  He won the Champions' League in 2012 with Chelsea.  He later played with LA Galaxy and Derby before retiring.

LB: Graeme Le Saux
Le Sauxmoved to England and debuted for Chelsea in 1989. He left joined Blackburn Rovers in 1993 and was part of their 1994–95 Premier League winning team. His return to Chelsea in 1997 in a £5 million transfer made him the most expensive defender in English football. He then played for Southampton. He played 36 times for England, starting all four England games at the 1998 World Cup Finals.

DM: Dennis Wise 
In a career spanning over 20 years, Wise played for Wimbledon, Leicester City, Millwall, Southampton, Coventry City and, most notably, Chelsea. He was known as the most successful captain at Chelsea before the emerge of John Terry.  He captained Chelsea as they won two FA Cups, two League Cups and an UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Despite his successes at club level, he only earned 21 caps for England between 1991 and 2000.  He went to Euro 2000.

Denis Wise

DM/RB: John Hollins
His father, grandfather and three brothers were all professional footballers as well.  His brother Dave, played international football for Wales. From 1963 to 1975, he played for Chelsea. He later played for Arsenal. He made 714 First Division appearances, an English top division record for an outfield player and second only to goalkeeper Peter Shilton.  He was only capped once for England.

CM: Terry Venables 
From 1960 to 1966, Vernables played for Chelsea.  He then moved to Tottenham Hotspurs and later, Queens Park Rangers.  Venables held the distinction of being the only footballer to play for England at schoolboy, youth, amateur, Under-23, and for the full international team.  He only played twice for the senior side in 1964.  He was named a list of 33 players for the 1966 World Cup.

CM: Ray Wilkins 

Ray Wilkins started with Chelsea in 1973.  He also enjoyed success various clubs including Manchester United, AC Milan, Queens Park Rangers, and Rangers. He was remembered for winning the FA Cup in 1983 for Manchester United.  From 1976 to 1986, he was an important player for England, earning 84 caps.  He played in both 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals. He won three Home Championships. He was elected into English Football Hall of Flame.

CM: Kenneth Armstrong 
Kenneth Armstrong played for Chelsea in England from 1946 to 1957.  He played in over 400 games (including a then-club record 362 league games) for the West London club and scored 30 goals. In 1954, he was one of the standby players for England at the WC Finals in 1954.  He did not travelled to Switzerland.  He was capped once by England in 1955.  He moved to New Zealand in 1957.  He was later capped by New Zealand 9 times from 1958 to 1962.

CM: Frank Lampard 
Lampard was the all-time leading scorer for Chelsea.  he started his career with West Ham before joining Chelsea in 2001.  He won the Champions' League in 2012 and 3 Preimership with Chelsea.  He was runner-up at FIFA Player of the Year in 2015.  In 2014, he made a controversial move to Manchester City through a loan deal from NY City FC.  For England, he was a key player from 1999 and 2014.  The Lampard-Gerrard debate was a hot topic  throughout his career with England.

Frank Lampard

RW/LW: Dick Spence

Spence began his professional club career with Barnsley in 1932, In 1935, he joined Chelsea. He scored 19 goals in his debut season for the club - no Chelsea winger has scored more in a season - and was one of the club's reliable players at a time when many of its more high-profile stars were unreliable. He was one of only two players to play for Chelsea both before and after the War. He was twice capped for England, against Austria and Belgium, both in 1936

RW/LW: Joe Cole

Cole started his career with West Ham United.  He later spent seven seasons at Chelsea.  He was named on the PFA Team of the Year in 2006. In 2010, he joined Liverpool, who a year later loaned him to Lille. After a season in France, he returned to Liverpool before re-joining West Ham in 2013. He also played for Aston Villa and Coventry City.  Cole played 56 times for England. He was selected for England at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups and Euro 2004.

LW: Clive Walker

Clive Walker began his career with Chelsea, playing in the same side as the likes of Ray Wilkins. He mainly played in the Second Division for most of his time there, but known for some of his peformance in important matches.  He played for them between 1976 and 1984. In 1979, Chelsea sent him on loan to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League. Later, he also played for Chelsea, Sunderland, Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion.

FW/CB: Roy Bentley 

Roy Bentley started with Newcastle United in 1946. He joined Chelsea in 1948.  He played 367 games for Chelsea and captained the club to their first League Championship in the 1954-55 season. He also played for Fulham and QPR after he left Chelsea. He also won 12 caps for the England national side. He played at the World Cup Finals in 1950, including the 1-0 loss against the United States.

ST/SS: Jimmy Greaves 
Jimmy Greaves was the top scorer in the English league for 6 seasons. He started his career with Chelsea, but also played with AC Milan and spent 9 seasons with Tottenham Hotspurs.  With them, he won the FA Cup in 1962 and 1967, and the UEFA Cup in 1963.  He was a member of the World Cup winning team in 1966.  However, he lost his starting position after suffering an injury against France. Geoff Hurst replaced him in the World Cup. He earned 57 caps between 1959 and 1967.

Jimmy Greaves

LW/ST: Bobby Tambling 

Tambling was Chelsea's all-time top scorer for 47 years, with 202 goals in all competitions until Frank Lampard surpassed this total on 11 May 2013. Tambling remains Chelsea's all-time top scorer in league competition with 164 goals. After enjoying a successful career in the Football League during the 1960s and early 1970s, Tambling moved to Ireland. He subsequently played for several Irish clubs.  Capped 3 times. 

ST: Peter Osgood 
Osgood was a legend with Chelsea.  He helped them to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1970.  Despite his successes with Chelsea, he only earned 4 caps.  Sir Ramsey is rumoured to dislike him for his playboy lifestyle.   He was a member of the 1970 World Cup squad, making two appearances against Czechoslovakia and Romania as a substitute. Near the end of his career, he played for Southampton, Norwich, Philadelphia Fury and a return to Chelsea.

ST Kerry Dixon 
After spells with Chesham United, Dunstable and Reading in the lower division, Dixon signed with Chelsea in 1983, which was then in the 2nd division. He led them to first division in his first season.  For Chelsea, his 193 goals across all competitions made him their third-highest goalscorer of all time.  Dixon scored four goals in eight international appearances for England and represented the nation at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Kerry Dixon 

Honorable Mention

Dave Beasant, Sam Willington, Kevin Hitchcock, Jim Molyneux, Jack Harrow, Tony Dorigo, Glen Johnson, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Glen Johnson, Wayne Bridge, Ken Shellito, Gary Locke, Stan Willemse, Marvin Hinton, Micky Droy,  Alan Hudson, Ken Armstrong, Mike Fillery, Alan Hudson, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Harold Miller, David Speedie, Peter Brabrook, John Bumstead, Jimmy Windridge, Peter Houseman, Eric Parsons, , Ian Hutchisson, Mason Mount, Cole Palmer, Tommy Langley, Tommy Lawton, Daniel Sturridge, George Mills.

Squad Explaination

-- I did a review of this on December , 2024.

-- John Terry, Kerry Dixion, Peter Osgood, Ron Harris, Roy Bentley, Frank Lampard, Dennis Wise, Ashley Cole and Peter Bonetti are on my All-Time Team for Chelsea.

-- Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard played on the team that won the Champions' League in 2012. 

-- Dennis Wise captained Chelsea in winning the 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.  He is the only player selected here.

-- The 1971 Cup Winners' Team had a much stronger English presence. Peter Bonetti, Ron Harris, John Hollins, David Webb and Peter Osgood played in the Final. Alan Hudson was also on that 1971 team.  The emerge of Dennis Wise, Frank Lampard and Ray Wilkins took him out of this team.  He was probably the best player left off the squad.  

-- In 2005, The Chelsea Centenary XI was chosen through an online vote on their official website.  The Best XI were as followed: Peter Bonetti, Steve Clarke, Marcel Desailly, John Terry, Graeme Le Saux, Charlie Cooke, Dennis Wise, Frank Lampard, Gianfranco Zola, Peter Osgood and Bobby Tambling. Seven of them were Englishmen.

-- In 2024, the website Pride of London revealed Chelsea's Best Ever  XI: Petr Cech, César Azpilicueta, John Terry, Ron Harris, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, N’golo Kante, Cole Palmer, Gianfranco Zola, Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba, alongside Honorable Mentions: Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Michael Essien, Claude Makaelele and Diego Costa.  Cole Palmer was a surprise inclusion. Including Palmer, therew 5 on the Best XI. They also came with their 10 Greatest Chelsea player of All-Time: 1) John Terry, 2) Frank Lampard, 5) Peter Osgood, 7) John Harris, 8) Eden Hazard, 9) Denis Wise and 10) Roy Bentley.

Peter Osgood

-- In June 2024, Fourfourtwo also ranked the 10 best Chelsea players of all time.  The result were: 1) John Terry, 2) Frank Lampard, 3) Peter Osgood, 4) Didier Drogba, 5) Roy Bentley, 6) Gianfranco Zola, 7) Petr Cech, 8) Jimmy Greaves, 9) Ron Harris and 10) Peter Sillett.

-- The 90 min also created 25 Best ever Chelsea players of all-time. The ranking: 1) John Terry, 2) Frank Lampard, 3) Peter Osgood, 6) Ron Harris, 7) Ashely Cole, 10) Peter Bonetti, 11) Kerry Dixon, 12) Dennis Wise, 13) Jimmy Greaves, 6) Roy Bentley, 19) Ray Wilkins,\ and 21) Bobby Tambling.

 -- The Chelsea Chronicle has also created their Top 10 Legends of the club, listing them as follows: 1) Frank Lampard, 2) John Terry, 3) Gianfranco Zola, 4) Ashley Cole, 5) Didier Drogba, 6) Eden Hazard, 7) Peter Osgood, 8) Ron Harris, 9) Petr Cech, and 10) Jimmy Greaves. Six were Englishmen.

Goalkeepers

-- Peter Bonetti is on my Chelsea All-Time team.  He made over 700 appearances between 1959 and 1979.  He came second in the FWA Footballer of the Year awards in 1970, largely for his heroic performance at the FA Cup Final. 

Peter Bonetti

-- Apart from Peter Bonetti, the other English keepers were not so well-known.  All the starters during the Premiership era were foreigners. I took Vic Woodley who held an early record for the English national team.  He started 19 consecutive matches for England.  A British newspaper also voted him as Chelsea's greatest English keeper ahead of Bonetti. He also kept Scotland's John Jackson from starting in Chelsea.  He was included on the "Key Former Players" on the official Chelsea's website.

-- William Foulke only played a short time at the club, and he was more known as a crowd puller, but he was the club's first ever keeper so I gave him the third spot.  He was also perhaps the club's first star attraction.  Dave Beasant was well-known due to Wimbledon's 1988 shock FA Cup victory and playing for England.  He helped Chelsea to promotion back to the topflight.  However, he was remembered for a few blunders in his career in 1992.  He was later replaced by Kevin Hitchcock.  Hitchcock had a lengthy career with Chelsea but mainly spent on the bench due to injuries. Sam Millington was the starting goalkeeper for 6 seasons before the arrival of Vic Woodley.  

Defenders

-- Ron Harris and John Terry were obvious choices for centerbacks. Terry won nearly every major trophy with Chelsea, such as the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. In 2007, he was honored on the PFA Team of the Century (1997–2007), among other individual awards. Harris, during his extraordinary 19-year spell at Chelsea from 1961 to 1980, made a record 795 appearances, the highest in the club's history. His collection of trophies includes wins in the FA Cup, European Cup Winner's Cup, League Cup, and various others.

Ron Harris

-- Gary Cahill's career with Chelsea was well-decorated. He won everything in club football, including the 2012 Champions' League.  He was named three times on the PFA Team of the Year.

-- The final central defender spot went to Colin Pates.  He made his Chelsea debut at the age of 18 and later became the first captain to lift a silverware at Wembley Stadium in March 1986 when Chelsea won the Full Members' Cup. This tournament was introduced after the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, offering English clubs in the top two divisions an additional competitive platform due to the European competition ban. I selected him for his historical role.

-- There were other candidates. Micky Droy was Chelsea's starting central defender before Pates, and later he also partnered with him. Marvin Hinton started his career as a fullback but later became Ron Harris' defensive partner in the center. During my research, I encountered Stan Wicks, who played a significant role in Chelsea's league-winning team in 1955. Despite this, he didn't secure a spot in the starting lineup until November that year when he took over from Ron Greenwood. Greenwood, who would go on to manage England's World Cup team in 1982, departed the club because of this change. Wicks remained with Chelsea for another year and a half before a career-ending injury cut short his time with the club, making his tenure relatively brief. I also looked into John Mortimore.

-- Peter Sillett previously held the record for Chelsea's highest-scoring defender until John Terry recently surpassed him. A pivotal member of Chelsea's 1955 league title-winning team, Sillett was also recognized by FourFourTwo as the club's 10th greatest footballer. In 2019, David Webb secured the second position, surpassing Glen Johnson, Ken Shellito, and Gary Locke. Webb showcased his versatility at Chelsea by playing in almost every position, even as a goalkeeper. His achievements include winning an FA Cup and a Cup Winners' Cup. Sillet and Webb would take over the rightback position while John Hollins, known for his role as a midfielder, could also play as a right-back. In 2024, I included Reece James in the list of honorable mentions.  He could take the second spot one day, but at this moment, he needed more time.

-- On the left, Ashely Cole was considered Chelsea's greatest leftback.  He was probably the third or fourth most important defender after John Terry, Ron Harris or Marcel Desailly. He also made my all-time team for Arsenal.  The second leftback position went to Graeme Le Saux.  Le Saux was an important player in the 1990's. He contributed to victories in the League Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, and FA Cup. Unfortunately, he was sidelined due to injury during the last two final matches.  Meanwhile, Tony Dorigo, Wayne Bridge, Jack Harrow and Stan Willemse made honroable mention.  Dorigo represented England even through he was from Australia.  Bridge's career in Stamford Bridge was limited by injuries and the presence of Ashely Cole on the team. Harrow was the first Chelsea player to make over 300 appearances for the club.  Willemse helped Chelsea to the league title in 1955.

-- George W. Smith set Chelsea's appearance record inn 1932 with over 350 games, but he was from Scotland. While he was at the club, there was a leftback named George Henry Smith from England, but George H. Smith only spent a season over here.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- My Chelsea All-Time team included three midfielders: Dennis Wise, Frank Lampard and Ray Wilkins. Dennis Wise was renowned for his industrious presence in midfield. He was voted into Chelsea Centenary XI while also ranked very high among several lists of greatest Chelsea players. He also spent 11 years with the club. In 2005, Frank Lampard was named FWA Footballer of the Year and finished runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. Ray Wilkins featured in 198 matches for Chelsea, with 170 of those as the team's captain. He played a pivotal role during the period when Chelsea was a weak team due to financial difficulties, emerging as a standout figure for the club. He was also a different type of midfielders from the other candidates.

Ray Wilkins

-- For this team, I added Terry Venables and John Hollins.  In his time, Venables was known as the new "Ducan Edwards".  He scored one of the most memorable goals ever for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 1965 against AS Roma. Hollins played nearly 600 games for Chelsea over two spells from 1963 to 1975 and from 1983 to 1984.  He was a part of the team that won the FA Cup, Football League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. 

-- Wing-half Ken Armstrong played for England before representying New Zealand, which made him eligible for this team.  He played over 400 times for Chelsea, a record at the time of writing.  He also helped Chelsea to win their first league title in 1955.

-- Joe Cole was mainly a right winger, but he could play on either side of the wing.  In Chelsea, he won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 while being named on the PFA Team of the Year in 2006.  In his best days, he was one of the best wingers in England, but he was known for not meeting expectations.  Dick Spence starred for Chelsea before and after the war. In 1934, he scored 19 goals in his debut season, a record unmatched by any Chelsea winger in a single season. His final game for Chelsea came at the age of 39, holding the titles for the oldest scorer and outfield player until Thiago Silva claimed both in November 2023. He only earned 2 caps for England because he was playing at the same time as Stanley Matthews.

-- Clive Walker had many memorable moments with Chelsea. He was the hero of two famous upset of Liverpool in the FA Cup in both 1978 and 1982.  In a crucial match in 1982–83, Chelsea facing relegation to the Third Division, he scored the winning goal against Bolton Wanderers, securing Chelsea's survival. Despite the fact he played mainly in the lower division, he was a big hero for the club. I decided to use Joe Cole as the backup left winger.

-- Eric Parsons was a key player for Chelsea winning the league in 1955, but his peak was very short. He struggled before the 1954-1955 season, and he quickly lost his place the season after.  Frank Blunstone played on the left wing for the 1955 team, but I would use Joe Cole as the backup left wing.

Forwards

-- Peter Osgood, Roger Bentkey, Bobby Tambling and Kerry Dixon were on my Chelsea All-Time team.  Osgood played a crucial role in Chelsea's success during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He helped the club win the FA Cup in 1970 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971.  He also played in the Swinging Sixties in London, where the club became a cultural symbol at the time.  

-- Roger Bentley led Chelsea to its first League title in the 1954-55 season as captain, scoring 21 league goals during that time. This victory held immense significance as Chelsea did not secure another league title for half a century. Bobby Tambling held the title of Chelsea's top scorer for 47 years and spent more than a decade with the club. Kerry Dixon, who stayed with Chelsea for 9 seasons, was the second-highest goal scorer in the club's history for an extended period. Dixon played a crucial role in Chelsea's ascent to the Second Division title in 1984, propelling the team back to the top tier of English football.  Tambling was Chelsea's all-time top scorer before Frank Lampard broke his record in 2013.  This group of players kept Jimmy Greaves out of my Chelsea All-Time team. Although he scored an impressive 132 goals in 169 games for the Blues, he was more associated with the rival club Tottenham Hotspur. However, Fourfourtwo ranked him as the 9th greatest Chelsea player while 90 min.com put him at 13th.  So I selected him as him.

Bobby Tambling

-- George Hilsdon is the first Chelsea player to score over 100 goals for the club.  He is currently the club's 9th highest goal scorer of all time. But unfortunately, the team already had too many strikers. 

-- Chelsea spent a lot of money on Tommy Lawton, but while his output was good, Chelsea did not do well with him and he only stayed a short time. He only made honorable mention.

-- Daniel Sturridge and Mason Mount departed to Liverpool and Manchester United too early in their careers.

rly.

Formation
Joe Cole or Jimmy Greaves should also start.  The back four is the same as my All-Time Team for Chelsea.