Petr Cech
The Czech shot-stopper has helped to solidify a once-defensively shaky side
There won’t be too many fans – Chelsea, Premier League or otherwise – who aren’t aware of Cech’s current home, the former Blues custodian having left Stamford Bridge to join Arsenal in 2015.
In his short time as a Gunner, the Czech shot-stopper has helped to solidify a once-defensively shaky side and provided a solution to a problem position that had existed at the Emirates for a number of years.
Cech first arrived in London in 2004, becoming one of Roman Abramovich's first signings as Chelsea owner. Former No.1 Carlo Cudicini was duly usurped by the ex-Rennes custodian, who claimed the Golden Glove in his first season with the club and won a total of 13 major honours in his 11 years at the Bridge.
Cech made the move across the capital last year after being overtaken in the pecking order by Thibaut Courtois, with Arsenal and Chelsea both aiming to challenge for the title this term. – James Dampney
NEXT: Still going strong
John Terry
He signed a contract extension in the summer after it looked like his long association with the west Londoners' was coming to an end
Where is John Terry now? Exactly where he's been since the age of 14: Chelsea Football Club.
The former England international signed a contract extension in the summer after it looked like his long association with the west Londoners' was coming to an end. He's had to make do with a place on the bench of late, Antonio Conte preferring David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta in his three-man backline, but Terry remains Chelsea's captain - a position he's held since 2004.
It's unclear how long the centre-back has left at Stamford Bridge - his new deal expires at the end of the campaign - but after winning four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and three League Cups in Chelsea blue, his place among the club's all-time greats is already secure. – Kenneth Ho
NEXT: A European champion
Ricardo Carvalho
Carvalho was part of the Portugal squad that triumphed at the European Championship in July
One of Jose Mourinho's first acts as Chelsea boss was to sign Ricardo Carvalho, his trusted lieutenant at Porto. The pair had just won the Champions League together with the Portuguese side, and the defender would go on to be a key man for the Blues until his departure to Mourinho's Real Madrid in 2010.
Carvalho remained at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2013, when he joined Monaco on a free transfer. He was let go by the Ligue 1 outfit in the summer, but that wasn't the end of his adventure in France: at the ripe old age of 38, Carvalho was part of the Portugal squad that triumphed at the European Championship in July.
Currently a free agent, the centre-back's yet to officially hang up his boots but probably doesn't have too long left before he calls it a day. – Vijhay Vick
NEXT: A role behind the scenes
Paulo Ferreira
Ferreira claimed 11 winner's medals during his near-decade at Stamford Bridge, but the amount of playing time he received steadily declined after Mourinho's exit in 2006
Timing can be everything in professional football and it’s fair to say that Ferreira’s was razor-sharp. After starting his career with Estoril and Vitoria Setabul in the lower reaches of the Portuguese game, the full-back chose the right moment to join Jose Mourinho at Porto, winning two league titles, a Champions League crown and a Europa League trophy during a wildly successful two-year spell.
He then followed Mourinho to Stamford Bridge and was a regular starter as the club won the Premier League in his debut campaign in 2004/05. Ferreira claimed 11 winner's medals during his near-decade at Stamford Bridge, but the amount of playing time he received steadily declined after Mourinho's exit in 2006.
The Portuguese decided to call it a day upon leaving Chelsea in 2013, although he later admitted in an interview with FFT that he'd retired too early. Since hanging up his boots, Ferreira's worked as a club ambassador and the Blues' assistant loan player technical coach. – JD
NEXT: North London to Western Australia
William Gallas
Gallas has surprisingly faded from the public spotlight since his retirement two years ago
A versatile defender, Gallas spent most of his team at full-back in Chelsea's first championship-winning season under Mourinho. While an important player during his five years in west London, the Frenchman departed in acrimonious circumstances, with the club accusing Gallas of threatening to score own goals if he wasn't allowed to leave.
Chelsea soon granted the former Marseille man his wish; Gallas moved to Arsenal as Ashley Cole headed in the other direction, before joining a third London club in Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.
He made 72 appearances for Spurs in his three years at White Hart Lane, then spent a single season in the A-League with Perth Glory in 2013/14. For a man who seemed to court controversy during his playing days, Gallas has surprisingly faded from the public spotlight since his retirement two years ago. – KH
NEXT: Management career shelved
Claude Makelele
A brief stint in charge of Bastia followed but Makelele hasn't managed since leaving Bastia two years ago
Despite being a vital cog in Real Madrid's 'Galacticos' side, Makelele was never truly valued by the powers that be in the Spanish capital, which led to him signing for Chelsea in 2003.
The Frenchman was so dominant in the Premier League that the defensive midfield position was informally renamed the 'Makelele role'; the 5ft 6in general provided vital balance in the Blues' engine room and played a major part in their success between 2003 and 2008.
Makelele joined Paris Saint-Germain after leaving Stamford Bridge, then took up a coaching role at the Parc des Princes after ending his playing days in 2011. A brief stint in charge of Bastia followed but Makelele hasn't managed since leaving the Corsican outfit two years ago, although he did spend five months as Monaco's technical director in the first half of 2016. – VV
NEXT: Revitalised in Madrid
Tiago Mendes
Tiago was one of the fortunate figures to secure a transfer to the soon-to-be Premier League champions
The summer of 2004 was a good time to be a Portuguese footballer, representing as it did a golden opportunity to join Mourinho at newly-monied Chelsea. Tiago was one of the fortunate figures to secure a transfer to the soon-to-be Premier League champions, with the former Benfica star immediately becoming an essential part of the so-called Special One's midfield.
The arrival of Michael Essien posed a problem for Tiago, though, with his game time suddenly limited as a consequence. He was therefore shown the door after just one season with the club, although he did go on to enjoy success at Lyon, winning the title twice in his two years in France.
A spell at Juventus didn't live up to expectations, however, but a loan switch to Atletico Madrid in 2009 helped to rejuvenate the Portuguese midfielder. He's still at the Vicente Calderon seven years on, and has won a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Europa League under the guidance of Diego Simeone. – JD
NEXT: Unconventional career path
Joe Cole
His time at Stamford Bridge proved to be the high point for Cole
Once touted as the future of England football, Cole achieved plenty while at Chelsea without ever reaching the heights that many (perhaps unrealistically) expected of him.
His time at Stamford Bridge subsequently proved to be the high point for Cole, as the ex-England international struggled to recapture his best form at Liverpool, West Ham, Lille and Aston Villa. Injuries certainly didn't help, with a spell at League One outfit Coventry City in 2015/16 primarily a means for him to get some football under his belt after a frustrating few years.
Cole joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who play in the US's second tier, the North American Soccer League, in May. – KH
NEXT: Stateside
Frank Lampard
New York City have until the end of December to decide whether or not to trigger a one-season extension
Lampard started all 38 of Chelsea's Premier League matches in 2004/05, which formed part of his record run for most consecutive apperances by an outfield player (164 between October 2001 and December 2005).
As well as winning three championship crowns, four FA Cups and the Champions League with the Blues, Lampard also became the club's all-time top goalscorer in 2013, with 211 strikes to his name by the time of his departure in 2014.
The midfielder remained in the Premier League for another year, scoring eight times for Manchester City - including an equaliser against Chelsea - before joining New York City in MLS. Lampard's two-year deal came to an end following Patrick Vieira's men's play-off defeat by Toronto in November, but New York City have until the end of December to decide whether or not to trigger a one-season extension. – VV
NEXT: The dugout awaits
Damien Duff
Not even the arrival of Dutch wizard Arjen Robben could force Duff out of the starting XI
Duff's exploits during his seven seasons at Blackburn were enough to earn him a £17m move to Stamford Bridge in 2003. Although not a Mourinho signing, the Irishman impressed the Portuguese enough to become an integral part of Chelsea's success in 2004/05, when he made 30 Premier League appearances and scored six goals.
Not even the arrival of Dutch wizard Arjen Robben could force Duff out of the starting XI, with Mourinho often incorporating both flying wingers in a side which went on to record the highest points tally in English football history (95).
His post-Chelsea career was a mixed bag: Duff was relegated with Newcastle in 2009 but helped Fulham to an improbable Europa League final 12 months later, before short stints with Melbourne City and Shamrock Rovers, where he's currently working as a coach. – JD
NEXT: English conquerer
Eidur Gudjohnsen
He was part of the Iceland squad that inflicted such embarrassment on England at Euro 2016
A fans' favourite in west London, Gudjohnsen plundered a total of 54 league goals in his 186 appearances for Chelsea, including 12 in 2004/05.
His performances at the Bridge that year caught the eye of Barcelona, who brought the Icelandic striker to the Camp Nou in 2006. Gudjohnsen won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his final year at the club, before embarking on spells in France, Greece, Belgium and China (as well as brief stints back in England with Tottenham, Stoke, Fulham and Bolton).
Despite turning 38 in September, Gudjohnsen's still going strong; he currently represents Molde in Norway, and was part of the Iceland squad that inflicted such embarrassment on England at Euro 2016. – KH
NEXT: Impact at Impact
Sub: Didier Drogba
It was his penalty that sealed the Blues' Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich in 2012
Drogba only started 18 matches in Chelsea’s 2004/05 title triumph as he adjusted to English football, but he more than made up for lost time in subsequent years. By the time he'd departed Stamford Bridge in 2015 the Ivorian had scored 164 goals and won 12 major trophies with the club, and it was his penalty that sealed the Blues' Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich in 2012.
That spot-kick looked set to be Drogba's last contribution in a Chelsea shirt, but after a couple of years with Shanghai Shenhua and Galatasaray he returned to west London for one final season at the club in 2014/15.
Drogba, who was credited with helping to end a long civil war in his native Ivory Coast during his career, then joined MLS outfit Montreal Impact, where he remains today. – VV
NEXT: Step back from football
Sub: Wayne Bridge
Much of Bridge's retirement has been spent as a house-husband
Bridge was a regular starter under Claudio Ranieri in his debut season at Chelsea in 2003/04 but found game time harder to come by when Mourinho replaced the Italian in the dugout the following year.
A serious ankle injury suffered midway through that second campaign compounded the issue, and Bridge only ever made sporadic appearances for the Blues from that point on. The left-back secured a move to Manchester City in 2009, before embarking on loan spells at West Ham, Sunderland and Brighton and a final permanent contract at Reading.
Much of Bridge's retirement has been spent as a house-husband; the ex-England international's wife Frankie is a member of popular girl band The Saturdays and featured on Dancing with the Stars in 2014. – JD
NEXT: Could he do it on a wet and windy Wednesday?
Sub: Glen Johnson
He then joined Stoke in 2015, making 25 Premier League starts in his debut campaign as the Potters finished ninth
Johnson was Abramovich's first signing in 2003, but he was never able to nail down a regular starting spot in the Chelsea XI. A season-long loan at Portsmouth was made permanent in 2007, before the right-back sealed a £17.5m switch to Liverpool two years later.
Johnson encountered a number of highs and lows during his time at Anfield, with the 54-time England international often praised for his attacking influence and criticised for his defensive positioning.
He then joined Stoke in 2015, making 25 Premier League starts in his debut campaign as the Potters finished ninth. – KH
NEXT: Bundesliga botherer
Sub: Arjen Robben
Robben's won five Bundesliga crowns, four DFB-Pokals and one Champions League in Bavaria
Signed from PSV Eindhoven in 2004, Robben made 105 appearances in his three seasons at Chelsea, winning two league titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2007.
He then swapped the Bernabeu for the Allianz Arena two years later, and remains an integral part of Bayern Munich's squad at the age of 32.
Robben's won five Bundesliga crowns, four DFB-Pokals and one Champions League in Bavaria, as well as plenty of individual accolades for his performances on the flank. – VV
