Ranking the 5 greatest English players in Chelsea history
Chelsea have brought in a plethora of foreign talent to the Premier League, especially since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003. The likes of Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard and Gianfranco Zola have arrived at Stamford Bridge from abroad and established themselves as club legends.
Chelsea have also been home to some brilliant English players
Apart from foreign imports, Chelsea have also had some of the best English players play for them over the years. The likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole come to mind when thinking about the best English players to have plied their trade at Stamford Bridge.
But Chelsea have also had plenty of other English players during the 20th century who have earned success at the club. On that note, here's a look at the five greatest English players in Chelsea history.
Honourable mention - Ron Harris (Chelsea's highest appearance-maker).
#5 Bobby Tambling (1959 - 1970)
For almost half a century, Bobby Tambling held the record as Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer, scoring 202 goals from 370 appearances.
It took only 14 minutes for the 17-year-old to mark his debut with a goal against West Ham United in February 1959.
Having been entrusted with the captaincy at 21, Tambling led Chelsea to promotion in 1963, and fired a four-goal haul during the crucial final game of that season, one of eight hat-tricks Tambling scored for the club. He once netted five goals away at Aston Villa, equalling the club record for a league game, and four against Arsenal at Highbury.
Bobby Tambling was the first to score in a major cup final for Chelsea, the League Cup in 1965, which Chelsea won for their first major knockout trophy. He was also the first Chelsea player to score in an FA Cup final, when he did so in 1967.
Though his overall goal tally for Chelsea was eventually surpassed by Frank Lampard in 2013, Tambling remains the highest scorer for Chelsea in league matches with 164 goals to his name.
#4 Peter Bonetti (1959 - 1975 & 1976 - 1979)
Famously known as 'The Cat', Peter Bonetti was arguably the best goalkeeper at Chelsea before Petr Cech, and is second on the list of all-time appearances for the Blues. He played 729 times during his stint at Chelsea.
Bonetti did not fit the stereotypical mould of a big, tall, imposing goalkeeper. He was just 5' 10", and weighed around 150 pounds for much of his career. Playing in the physical English league during the 60s and 70s is a testament to how good Bonetti was. He managed to rack up over 700 appearances, and was viewed as one of the best goalkeepers in the league.
Bonetti was someone who was ahead of his time, focusing on quick distribution, something that has become common in today's game. He was brave and agile, and also strong and resilient. His performance in the 1970 FA Cup final against Leeds was one of the best in the history of the competition, as it finally brought the trophy back to west London.
Bonetti sadly passed away in April last year, but Chelsea fans still reminisce about one of their greatest ever goalkeepers.