Jersey numbers are an important part of football, icons have blazed their trails all while adorned by a familiar number on their back. While kit numbers used to jump around they have since settled down, which in some cases leads to a who’s who having a claim to a single digit. For some clubs steeped in history, they won’t have had just one notable player wearing a particular number, which is why in this, we’ll be looking at the best Chelsea players to ever wear the number 8 jersey.
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Best Chelsea Players to Wear the Number 8 Jersey of All Time
Bobby Tambling
Academy graduate Bobby Tambling spent over a decade with Chelsea. He is most remembered for being the clubs all-time leading goalscorer until it was broken in 2013 by someone else on this list. He was unlucky to miss some of the more prolific years, only winning the league cup back in 1965.
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He moved from the Blues to Crystal Palace as a hero, having notched 202 goals across all competitions. He remains to this day the most prolific top division goalscorer in team history with an impressive tally of 164
Ray Wilkins
Talk about being there through the ups and downs. After coming through the academy Wilkins played in midfield for the London-based side. He didn’t play every match in the top division but after relegation, he was made captain and became a key part of the push back into the First Division in the late 70s.
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Another relegation in 1979 saw him sold for a big fee to Manchester United. He would go on to have an interesting career jumping from the Red Devils to AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Rangers, and a number of other clubs in his lengthy career.
Gus Poyet
After dazzling for Real Zaragoza for a number of years, Gus Poyet was snapped up by a rising Chelsea team in 1997. He provided some necessary skill in the middle of the park and contributed with 49 goals and 16 assists in 145 total appearances in blue.
He tasted success with the squad, winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the FA Cup before moving to Tottenham in 2001, ending a successful four-year stint with the West London outfit.
Enzo Fernandez
It’s not often that a currently active player makes these lists, but it would be foolish not to consider Enzo Fernandez as one of the best players to ever don the number 8 jersey for the Blues. Even during some of his weaker spells, Enzo was a world-class passer of the ball and as time has gone on has grown into a leader on a winning team.
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He arrived as a World Cup winner and, despite the big fee has certainly shunned the price tag better than most. He’s already hit 115 appearances for the team since joining while contributing 16 goals and 23 assists across all competitions. His legacy is only starting to be written, but will end up as one of the best.
Frank Lampard
Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer. Enough said. Frank Lampard was part of the spine who built the Blues into a European powerhouse alongside Petr Cech, John Terry, and Didier Drogba. Not only did he score goals himself as a midfielder, but he was a creative outlet who amassed 148 assists across all competitions.
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By the time he left, Lampard was draped in gold with a Champions League, three Premier Leagues, a Europa League, four FA Cups, and two League Cups to his name. He will be remembered as one of the best midfielders in club history.
