6 greatest Chelsea defenders of all time
Premier League giants Chelsea have had the privilege of fielding some excellent defenders over the course of their history. Even before Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003, the Blues rarely had trouble signing some sure-footed defenders.
Since being founded in 1905, Chelsea have always had at least one or two defenders leading them through troubled waters.
From flying full-backs to lion-hearted centre-backs, the west Londoners have had them all. Today we will take a closer look at the defenders who helped the club become the juggernaut it is today.
Here are the six greatest defenders in the club's history:
#6 Ron Harris
Over 50 years on from this special night, when the birthday boy Ron Harris led us to our first FA Cup triumph! 🏆
Watch more great cup finals on the 5th Stand! 📲
Nicknamed 'Chopper', Ron Harris was one of the strongest and most aggressive centre-backs of his time. Unlike modern-day stars who spent an awful amount of time rolling around and diving, footballers back in the 1960’s and '70’s were all about authority. There was no room for soft tackles, every challenge was life and death for the players involved.
Chelsea’s Ron Harris was everything you could possibly want in an old-school defender. He was strong as an ox, was never afraid to get involved, and produced inch-perfect challenges on cue.
He served the Blues diligently for 19 years between 1961 and 1980, making a total of 795 official appearances, the most in the club’s history. With him on the pitch, the Londoners were always a force to be reckoned with, irrespective of the team they were up against.
The legendary Chelsea captain, unfortunately, did not win much with his favorite club. His major honors included an FA Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1971), and a League Cup (1965).
#5 Cesar Azpilicueta
The only active player to make the list, Cesar Azpilicueta, is one of the best right-backs to ever play in the Premier League. The Spaniard, who moved to Stamford Bridge in 2012, has been leading the west London outfit by example, producing exceptional performances every week.
The former Marseille man has won it all with the Blues. He helped the club to the Europa League title in his debut season and has not looked back since. Irrespective of the coach he plays under, the 32-year-old always manages to become a mainstay.
Over the last decade, the former Marseille man has featured in 459 games for the club from west London, registering 15 goals and 56 assists.
Cesar Azpilicueta has NEVER made a mistake that has led to a goal in the Premier League...
He has been at Chelsea for NINE years.
Ridiculous 🤯 https://t.co/B11mCeUe9Z
Azpilicueta, who is out of contract next summer, has won two Premier Leagues, one Champions League, and two Europa Leagues amongst other honors in London.