Chelsea FC’s 50 Greatest Players Of All-Time
25. Dan Petrescu: 1995-2000
Dan Petrescu was another of the foreign players that were brought in towards the end of the decade as Chelsea looked to establish themselves. Stamford Bridge wasn’t his first English home, though, as he spent just over a season with Sheffield Wednesday before being poached.
He quickly became an integral part of the Chelsea set-up, featuring over 40 times in each of the last four of his five Chelsea campaigns. With a total of 208 competitive appearances. he was part of squads that were triumphant in the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup.
The Romanian brought his attacking instincts to the fore as he repeatedly bombed down the right flank from his right-back position. A positive player, he was equally capable of carrying out the principle duties of his role if necessary and his quality was further recognised by election to the overseas Premier League Team Of The Decade in 2002.
Petrescu helped usher in a new era of success for the Blues and was greatly revered by the fans. Unfortunately, the tail end of his Blues career was tainted with a sour relationship between himself and then-manager Gianluca Vialli. Nevertheless, he will continue to be cheered each time he returns to Stamford Bridge.
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