Chelsea’s top Portuguese players (and one manager) of all time
By George Perry
Paulo Ferreira: 2004-2013
Appearances: 217
Trophies: Premier League (3), Champions League, FA Cup (3), Europa League, League Cup, Community Shield
Paulo Ferreira followed Porto teammate Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea to continue working under Jose Mourinho. Ferreira stayed long after Mourinho departed – nearly long enough to catch Mourinho on his return – and became a fan favorite for his steady and reliable performance.
His workmanlike dedication to his club and his craft opened him up to one of Mourinho’s classic backhanded compliments: “a player who will never be man of the match but will always score 7/10 for his individual display.”
Ferreira un-self-consciously revealed much about why the Stamford Bridge faithful loved this true blue collar Blue:
"I never gave up. Some players, when they are not playing they want to move because they want to play. I think that sometimes, but I think that it was important to work hard and show the manager that he can play… I am kind of like a family man. I like to do my job and go home to my family. – FourFourTwo"
Next: Jose Mourinho