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, there are still some that aren’t given much use, leading to some fun names being involved in best ever talks. Despite the club’s history, there haven’t been many squad members to don some numbers, which is why in this, we’ll be looking at the best Chelsea players to ever wear the number 13 jersey.
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Best Chelsea Players to Wear the Number 13 Jersey of All Time
Victor Moses
Victor Moses didn’t spend his best years with this number on, he was still fresh off of his time at Wigan Athletic and was struggling to make the step up to being an attacker at a big club. He would of course, go on to redeem himself under Antonio Conte.
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When the Italian manager introduced a back three to Stamford Bridge he converted Moses into a wing-back, where his work ethic made him a key part of the title-winning side. He ended his time with the team after making 128 appearances with 28 goal contributions to his name
William Gallas
William Gallas is surprisingly not the only name on this list to leave the Blues in less than ideal terms. He was part of the infamous switch with Ashley Cole that saw Arsenal give up Cole and get Gallas in the same window. Chelsea tried to throw him under the bus with an inflammatory statement on his way out that the player was threatening to intentionally score own goals if he wasn’t allowed to leave.
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Despite the fractured end to things, we can’t overlook Gallas’ time wearing the number 13 jersey for the club. He made 225 appearances for the side over a few seasons, scoring 14 times and setting up nine.
Kevin Hitchcock
Kevin Hitcock was a loyal servant to Chelsea during the 1990s. At a time when the team was not only on the up, but was signing players a lot more to try and continue their progress. Hitchcock stuck around and managed to make 126 appearances for the senior team, keeping 30 clean sheets.
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It’s not necessarily difficult to see why he never got to make more of an impression, as he let in 160 goals, averaging more than one per match. Despite that, he was a blue through and through for the long haul and deserves some credit.
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack was part of the competitive days when the Blues’ midfield was stacked with options. Different managers employed different systems to fit in all of the profiles with Ballack being one of the more interesting after his arrival from the Bundesliga.
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He went on to make 167 appearances for the team despite different managers and systems being utilised. He never quite refound the scoring touch from his Bayern Munich days but he recorded a respectable tally of 26 strikes and 21 in that time. He also captured a number of trophies including the Premier League and three FA Cups.
Thibaut Courtois
The successor to Petr Cech, Courtois was a stellar find as a young Belgian and was allowed to flourish on loan. He returned to Chelsea and after a season sharing the first-choice role with the legendary Cech, he was given the gloves and proved why he was the chosen one.
Due to a controversial exit, his legacy has no doubt been stained but his quality is beyond any questioning. He made 154 appearances for the Blues and let in 152 goals, keeping an impressive 58 clean sheets in that time. His best campaign saw him keep 19 clean sheets, one of the top 20 highest in a term in club history.
