Jersey numbers are an important part of football, icons have blazed their trails all while adorned by a familiar number on their back. After all, Cristiano Ronaldo’s number seven is almost as memorable as any individual moment he produced. 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 4 jersey.
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Best Chelsea Players to Wear the Number 4 Jersey – All Time
Peter Osgood
Peter Osgood sporadically had this shirt number throughout his time at the Blues so we’ll save a detailed discussion on him and his talents for his more iconic numbers. That said, he deserves a mention here for being one of the many legends to be the fourth man on the list.
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He is remembered as one of the finest strikers in club history, scoring 140 goals for them while being part of the squads that won the FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Graham Wilkins
Graham Wilkins only played with the number four on his back for a single seasons so will also be mentioned fairly briefly. He was a full-back who spent a decade in London as a full-back. He was part of the squad that won promotion to the top division in 1977, a key re-emergence for the club.
Vinnie Jones
In his one season in blue, Vinnie Jones got to show the fans what made him such an iconic member of the Wimbledon side of the 80s. He was a tough-tackling defensive midfielder who made over 50 appearances for the team despite being there for just a single full campaign.
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He chipped in with some goals despite being a defensive-focused midfielder. Despite the season ending in a disappointing 14th place finish, the side had been rising high at one point and looked set to knock on the doors of European football. Finishing where they did meant they were part of the very first rebranded Premier League competition, and the rest is history.
Claude Makelele
Claude Makelele was an important part of the transition under Roman Abramovich, where the Blues went from contenders to winners. Making the move from Real Madrid of all places was a statement that Chelsea were a force to be reckoned with on the European stage.
He was such an impressive and effective defensive midfielder that he has become synonymous with the role of shielding the defence by fans. He was an elite-tier player who was part of the legendary defence that allowed just 15 goals in an entire Premier League term.
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In his time as a Blue, the Frenchman captured two league titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, and grabbed a runners-up medal for the Champions League. He left for Paris Saint-Germain after making 217 appearances and leaving a lasting impression with the English team.
Cesc Fabregas
Undoubtedly one of the most gifted midfielders to ever take to the field for the side and one of the best to ever take on the number 4 jersey. Fabregas arrived after stints with two major rivals in Arsenal and Barcelona along with Diego Costa to aid Jose Mourinho’s title ambitions.
He hit the ground running, and his partnership with Nemanja Matic formed the base of a title-winning squad as Fabregas notched an impressive 18 assists. He helped Costa bed in easily as the club’s number one striker and unlocked a lot of opposition units on the road to a title-winning campaign.
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He made just under 200 appearances for Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, the Europa League, and both domestic cups with an impressive 79 goal contributions to his name