A number of top strikers have come to Chelsea and not lived up to the hype, however Olivier Giroud believes at one point the club had the best shooter in world football.
Giroud is one of those who has left Stamford Bridge with cult hero status, cropping up with a number of important goals in his three and a half years at the club.
Giroud has tipped Liam Delap to be a success at Chelsea, with him aware how difficult it is for a striker if they do not make a hot start at a top club like the Blues.
One individual who didn’t hit the heights many expected of him in West London was Andriy Shevchenko. The former Ballon d’Or winner managed just 22 goals in his time at the club.
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Olivier Giroud names Chelsea flop Andriy Shevchenko as the best shooter he has ever seen
Only nine of those came in the Premier League, as he struggled to displace Didier Drogba from Jose Mourinho’s starting side.
Despite not making the desired impact at Stamford Bridge, Giroud was quick to mention the former Ukraine star as the best finisher he has ever seen.
When asked in a Q&A by L’Equipe, he said: “Shooting? Andriy Shevchenko. Right foot, left foot – no discussion.”
Giroud has been quoted as idolising Shevchenko earlier in his career, and while his career hasn’t quite matched the heights he certainly contributed more for the Blues.
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Why Andriy Shevchenko struggled at Chelsea
After scoring 173 goals in seven seasons for AC Milan, there were questions over why things didn’t work out for him at Chelsea.
Former defender Alex believed Mourinho was too hard on Shevchenko, not setting him up to be a success for his new side.
The Ukrainian is an example of a top forward who things did not work out for at the club. The likes of Fernando Torres, Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku didn’t deliver for the Blues for a variety of reasons.
The Blues will be hoping that this is not the same story for their current strikers, with Delap and Joao Pedro being trusted with leading the line for the forseeable future.