Mandatory Credit: Mitchell Gunn-USA TODAY Sports
Didier Drogba is back. The modern day king of Stamford Bridge will grace the pitch in a blue shirt once more. After taking a detour through China and Istanbul, Drogba has announced that he will be returning to Chelsea FC once more. The Ivorian striker was excellent in China at Shanghai Shenhua with 8 goals in 11 appearances but the hunger and competition was not there. The Chinese league is a retirement league for aging stars and Drogba was not ready to hang up his boots just yet.
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So he sought out a more competitive league in Turkey and signed with Galatasaray. At Galatasaray Drogba was the same threat as he was with Chelsea FC, scoring 20 goals in 53 appearances for the Turkish giants. He was also given the opportunity to play in the Champions League once again where he shined with 3 goals in 12 appearances in Europe’s premier cup competition. Now he returns to where he made his name and to add to his already legendary legacy.
With the return of Drogba we thought we’d turn our attentions to some of the club’s other cult heroes starting with…
Next: The Cultured Scotsman
Pat Nevin
Younger readers will likely associate Pat Nevin with his excellent tactical analysis for the BBC and Chelsea TV but between 1983-88, the diminutive winger made 193 appearances for the club scoring 36 goals in the process including a legendary equaliser against Liverpool in the 1984-85 season at Anfield. During his time at the club he won the club’s Player of the Year award twice, in his first season in 1984 and in 1987. He also helped lead Chelsea FC to the second division title and promotion to the top flight in the 1983-84 season.
Nevin was as cultured on the pitch as he was off it, often spending his spare time writing reviews of gigs and albums. Since retiring away from football he’s been found DJing in indie clubs in London playing music from artists like Belle & Sebastian, Orange Juice and The Fall.
Basically he was a great footballer, universally loved by the fans and a super cool guy. If that doesn’t make a cult hero I don’t know what does.
Next: The Best Hair In London
Paolo Ferreira
Paolo Ferreira, aside for his ability on the pitch, is know for having the best hair in South West London. Paolo Ferreira signed for Chelsea in 2004 following Jose Mourinho over from Porto. Ferreira was never a spectacular player. He was always a 7/10 performer. No more. No less. You always knew what you were getting from Paolo: consistency and reliability. Despite this, his longevity at the club as a man waiting in the wings for the best part of a decade, led him to be revered by the players and fans alike. His playing swan song came in the Champions League quarter final against Benfica in 2012 as manager Roberto DiMatteo employed his experience against the Portuguese team.
Ferreira announced his retirement after 220 appearances at the last home match of the 2013-14 season with his name chanted around the stadium led by Frank Lampard. He has since appeared as an ambassador for the club at multiple UEFA events and it turns out that hair looks even better in a suit.
Next: The Boy From Jersey
Graeme Le Saux
The boy from Jersey was spotted playing in a local tournament by manager John Hollins who brought him to Chelsea in 1987. He made 90 appearances as a regular for the club but was also regularly substituted. Frustrated and angry about this latter aspect of his Chelsea career, he was sold to Blackburn Rovers where he helped them win the Premier League trophy. Returning to Chelsea 10 years after he first signed for a record £5m for a defender, Le Saux went on to make 140 further appearances where he was consistently reliable.
Le Saux however is more noted for relationship with homophobia, having received a lot of abuse as a player despite him being married with children and has since written on the subject and become a vocal spokesperson against homophobic abuse within the sport. He is intelligent, well spoken and is a great role model and since retiring has become an ambassador for the club, often working with kids in projects to motivate youngsters. He’s a great story of someone turning it around from being a petulant kid to being a model professional and someone who will likely be around the club for the foreseeable future.
Next: He Hates Tottenham
Willian
Willian Borges da Silva was a Chelsea legend before he even ever played for the club. He signed in the summer 0f 2013 amongst a great deal of controversy stirred up from the other end of London. See, despite being a target of Andre Villas-Boas back in 2011, Willian was never meant to be a Chelsea player. In fact, he had gone so far as having a medical with Tottenham before signing for Chelsea. What makes it even sweeter was the manager who was after him in the first place at Chelsea was ousted in this transfer hunt by the master Mourinho.
When he scored an outrageous goal against Norwich on his Premier League debut, the fans burst out with that chant and even though he has had people critical of his end product there is no denying that the sh*t from Sp*rs, they bought his flight, but Willian saw the light, he got the call from Abramovich and off he went to Stamford Bridge
EVERBODY SING
He hates Tottenham!
He hates Tottenham!
He hates Tottenham!
Oh, he hates Tottenham!
Next: The Italian Magician
Gianfranco Zola
As if Gianfranco Zola, the magician, was not going be on this list. If I was to list all of the highlights of his Chelsea career between 1996 when Ruud Gullit signed the 30 year old for £4.5m from Parma and his departure in 2003 we would be here all day. Instead I will simply tell my own personal moment.
My first ever Chelsea match was against West Ham on the 28th September 2002, a couple of weeks after my 10th birthday. It was an eventful match; Scott Minto fouled Robert Huth and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink dispatched the resulting penalty; Jermain Defoe, coming on as a substitute, scored an equaliser just before half-time; after half-time Paolo DiCanio scored a wonderful diving header; but it was on the 74th minute when the magic of Zola shone through as he perfectly curled a free kick into the top corner past David James. Despite losing the match I came away from it amazed by Zola and in love with the little gentile Italian.
Gianfranco Zola was one of the reasons why I fell in love with Chelsea FC and I know of many people out there who have their own moments from him that are why they are Chelsea fans. It is fitting that only one shirt number has been retired by the club: Zola’s 25. We are all followers of the cult of Chelsea and Gianfranco Zola is our deity.
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