10 Players You May Have Forgotten Played for Chelsea

10 Players You May Have Forgot Played for Chelsea

Arguably London’s most illustrious club, Chelsea have welcomed endless world-class players through their doors over the years. Two-time Champions League winners, owners of five Premier League titles, and boasting a plethora of further domestic and continental awards, the Blues have always been able to afford the biggest and best names in football.

But like every club, some players either go under the radar, fail to deliver on the very obvious promise, or simply were not hyped up enough during their time there.

Which names have slipped the minds of countless fans since they took to the Stamford Bridge pitch in a blue shirt? Which names bring back an overwhelming sense of nostalgia with just their names? Who are the 10 players you may have forgotten played for Chelsea? Let’s have a look.

10. Davide Zappacosta (2017-2021)

Easing you into the list with a recent example, Zappacosta was brought in for €30 million as a squad depth option for the then high-flying Victor Moses on Chelsea’s right flank. With his name secured late in the summer of 2017, the Italian made quite the impression on debut, scoring from an outrageous angle in Chelsea’s 6-0 thumping of Qarabag, having run the ball from the edge of his own penalty area.

However, this debut goal would be his standout moment during his time at Chelsea. It quickly became clear that he was not the man to displace Moses, and while he managed 35 games in his first season at the club, he would only muster 17 in his second before going on a series of loan moves to Roma, then Genoa.

Do you remember Davide Zappacosta ? pic.twitter.com/T6MIdMfgGh

— Speedline (@speedlinexx) August 12, 2025

Eventually, Chelsea cashed in while he still had some value, selling him to Italian side Atalanta for €9 million in 2021. Zappacosta has been a regular ever since – a menace running up and down the right wing. Zappacosta’s dual talents in both attack and defence have seen him become a key player in the Atalanta set-up. Still going strong at 33 years old, it seems that Zappacosta has figured out that the Italian Serie A is where he thrives.

9. Claudio Pizarro (2007-2009)

A name synonymous with the Bundesliga, Peruvian legend Pizarro brought his striking expertise to the Premier League for one season only, donning the blue shirt for the duration of the 07/08 season after securing a free transfer. A clinical marksman up front for both Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen, his skill set looked as if it would translate perfectly to Premier League football.

However, things did not go to plan - 22 games and just two goals later, Pizarro was shipped off to Werder Bremen on loan at the end of the season and, in the summer of 2009, returned to his former club on a permanent deal, bringing to an end his short and forgettable spell in London. With the likes of Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko ahead of him in the pecking order, Pizarro never played more than a backup role.

Claudio Pizarro retired from football at the age of 41 after Werder Bremen avoided relegation on Monday 😢

🏆 - Six Bundesliga titles
⚽ - 197 goals
🎬 - 490 matches

⭐ pic.twitter.com/lJZ1JK1huQ

— GOAL (@goal) July 7, 2020

He bounced back superbly, though – multiple double-figure seasons led to a return to Bayern Munich, where he would win three Bundesliga's, the 2012/13 Champions League, and countless other domestic honours. The sixth-highest scorer in Bundesliga history with 197 goals, the Peruvian is a legend in Germany, and he continued playing at the top level until the end of the 2019/20 season, when he announced his retirement.

8. Gaël Kakuta (2007-2015)

Well done if you remember this one. Brought by Chelsea as a budding young star, Kakuta quickly became the academy's most prestigious talent, earning praise from all corners. However, in 2009, his career was derailed by a double ankle fracture, an injury that he never seemed to fully recover from.

Despite making 6 senior appearances for Chelsea, he quickly became part of the annual loan army, playing for the likes of Fulham and Bolton, along with continental sides Dijon, Vitesse, Lazio and Rayo Vallecano. When it became clear that he would never reach the level required by Chelsea, the Frenchman was finally shifted on.

Former Chelsea youngster Gaël Kakuta now plays for DR Congo at international level.

He was once labeled the 'most gifted player of his generation' and was amongst the nominees for the 2010 Golden Boy award 😲 pic.twitter.com/f4XSgKdU1m

— ESPN Africa (@ESPNAfrica) January 18, 2024

Upon leaving Chelsea, Kakuta would never stay anywhere long enough to call it home. Though he did play for some reputable clubs, including Lens, Sevilla and Deportivo La Coruna, he never spent long there, and other stints in Iran, Greece and Turkey earned him the tag of 'journeyman'. He now plays his football in the Greek Super League with Athlitiki Enosi Larissa.

7. Loic Remy (2014-2016)

Another Frenchman, Loic Remy, was already an established Premier League name when he arrived at Chelsea for €13.2 million in 2014, having bagged goals for both QPR and Newcastle United in previous seasons. Also an accomplished scorer in the French top flight, there was plenty of hype around the striker’s arrival.

However, like Pizarro, Remy was forced to play backup, with the likes of Diego Costa and Didier Drogba once again ahead in the pecking order. He took his opportunities when he could, scoring 12 goals in 47 appearances for the Blues, but it was quickly realised that he was never going to be more than a bit-part player and, after a loan to Crystal Palace, he was given to Spanish side Las Palmas on a free transfer.

Loïc Rémy (27) (€13.2M) - Queens Park Rangers to Chelsea (2014) pic.twitter.com/sANh44VeJM

— Transfersthathappened (@actualtransfers) February 10, 2026

Never staying at a side for more than three seasons, the latter half of Remy’s career is peppered with curious moves. He only spent one season at Las Palmas before heading to Lille for two years, scoring 21 goals in his time there. Leaving the summer before the French side would win Ligue 1, Remy went to Rizespor in Turkey for another two campaigns before ending his career at another Turkish outfit, Adana Demirspor, in 2022.

6. Robert Huth (2001-2006)

Going way back now to a time when the Chelsea backline was made up of John Terry and Marcel Desailly. Behind them, a young Robert Huth was developing well, having joined from Union Berlin, and in the final game of the 2001/2002 season, the German made his senior debut for the Blues in a home defeat to Aston Villa.

That result pretty much set the tone for Huth’s career at Chelsea – limited to occasional opportunities thanks to the presence of Terry, Desailly, William Gallas and Ricardo Carvalho, his record of 42 games in four seasons eventually saw him grow impatient, and he moved to Middlesbrough in the wake of the 2006 World Cup, at which Huth played once for Germany.

Happy birthday, Robert Huth! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/LXhpn2JH7t

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 18, 2025

That was not the end of the story for Huth, though. He went on to become a Premier League regular at both Boro and Stoke City before eventually moving to Leicester City in 2015. It was here he had the crowning moment of his career – he played all but three league games as the Foxes carved through the league to miraculously win the Premier League title, in what would prove to be Huth’s penultimate professional season. He would retire at Leicester in 2018.

5. Scott Sinclair (2005-2010)

One of the Blues' most highly regarded young talents back in the mid-2000s, the sky was the limit for young winger Scott Sinclair. At 17 years old, he was making frequent substitute appearances off the bench, and at 18, he scored his first goal for the Blues in a victory against Hull City in the FA Cup.

However, as with so many promising 2000s graduates of Chelsea’s Cobham youth graduates, Sinclair saw his development falter with endless loan deals, which saw him take a tour of six different EFL clubs before Chelsea finally sold him for good to Swansea in 2010 for £500,000. Finally given regular minutes at the Swans, Sinclair became a fan favourite and then became a club icon when he scored a hat-trick against Reading in the play-off final to secure the club's status in the Premier League.

Random Chelsea Player of the Day #30:
Scott Sinclair 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/WYxiHn3vZI

— WiZi (@WiZiCFC) February 19, 2023

Once again though, a big club ruined any momentum. Sinclair had picked up – brought by Man City in 2012, the winger would play just 13 times for the Cityzens before spells at West Brom and Aston Villa saw him eventually leave to play for Scottish giants Celtic, for whom he would make 105 appearances. The last we heard of Sinclair, he had been released by Bristol Rovers upon the conclusion of last season and is currently a free agent.

4. Glen Johnson (2003-2007)

Making it two Englishmen in quick succession, Glen Johnson is typically more synonymous with the likes of Portsmouth and Liverpool, thanks to his exploits later in his career. Very few actually remember the 42 league games he played at Stamford Bridge in his four-season stint at the club.

Brought from West Ham in 2003 for £6 million (a significant fee back in those days), many were surprised by Johnson’s lack of playing time. Though the Blues had Paulo Ferreira and Mario Melchiot also covering the right-back position, Johnson had the skill set to match both of them, and his youthful enthusiasm brought a different dimension to the Chelsea set-up.

⚽️ Random Premiership goals ⚽️

Glen Johnson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Blackburn Rovers vs Chelsea
1st February 2004#Chelsea #ChelseaFC #CFC #Carefreepic.twitter.com/Eoy0gpVajx

— The Premiership Years (@PremiershipYrs) October 13, 2024

Despite winning a Premier League and League Cup, it never worked out between Johnson and Chelsea, and at the start of the 2007/2008 season, he was sold to Portsmouth. Two impressive seasons on the south coast saw his stock rise significantly, and eventually he was purchased for a sizeable £18.5 million by Liverpool. He would go on to make 200 appearances for the Reds before winding down and eventually retiring at Stoke City in 2018.

3. Yuriy Zhirkov (2009-2011)

The fourth-most capped Russian of all time, Yuriy Zhirkov’s time at Chelsea was surprisingly short for a player of such quality. Arriving for a fee of £18 million in 2009, the left-back/centre-mid/left-winger hybrid was a useful component of Carlo Ancelotti's 2009/10 title-winning side.

He only ever scored one goal for the Blues, but it was a corker, a stunning half volley from 25 yards in a Champions League game against a Russian side in Spartak Moscow, no less. However, when Ancelotti moved on in the summer of 2011, Zhirkov also left, returning to his motherland of Russia.

Happy 42nd Birthday
Yuri Zhirkov #CFC #CFCHeritagepic.twitter.com/XxcgkgNjKT

— Chelsea Lookback ⭐⭐ (@1JamesCHELSEA) August 20, 2025

He would become a regular left-back at Russian sides Anzhi Makhachkala, Dynamo Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg, competing in the Champions League regularly, before finally bringing his career to a close at Khimki. Finishing his career at Chelsea with a Premier League and FA Cup title, Zhirkov may not be remembered all too clearly, but make no mistake – when a job needed doing, the Russian always came through.

2. Robert Green (2018/19)

Largely remembered for his absolute howler against the USA at the 2010 World Cup, Rob Green’s Premier League popularity still endured past that incident – playing for Norwich City, West Ham, QPR, Leeds and eventually Chelsea, there were certainly a considerable demographic of fans who wouldn’t hear a word against him.

We actually technically shouldn’t be including him in this list, as he didn’t make a single appearance for Chelsea when he was brought in on a free transfer in 2018. Acquired to help with registration rules as a homegrown player, he was named third-choice goalkeeper behind Willy Caballero and Kepa Arrizabalaga, who to this day remains the world's most expensive goalkeeper.

Robert Green - Best Saves and Moments at Chelsea 2018/19

Happy Retirement @Robert1Green - Thanks for the memories 🤙🏼🙌🏻 #CFC #ThankYouRob pic.twitter.com/cMl1PmyM6K

— Edward Reyner (@EdwardReyner) May 31, 2019

Though the closest he would get to representing the club was in a couple of pre-season friendlies, Green still played a big part in passing on his experience and wisdom to the younger players in the squad and was a part of the Europa League trophy lift in May of 2019 when Chelsea beat Arsenal in the final. He retired two days later.

Tiemoue Bakayoko (2017-2023)

We have already seen that Chelsea are more than happy to send their younger prospects out on endless loan cycles. However, Teimoue Bakayoko represents the rare case of a senior player being given the same treatment, such was the desperation to avoid playing him in England.

Brought for an eye-watering £40 million in 2017, Bakayoko came to London exceptionally highly rated from Monaco, having helped them to the Ligue 1 title the previous season, putting a stop to PSG’s dominance. But it quickly became clear that he had been missold – though he played 43 times in his first season for the Blues, scoring twice, he was heavily criticised, with performances against Watford and Newcastle both being labelled as absolute disasterclasses.

Tiemoue Bakayoko contre Watford pic.twitter.com/CKda3a0P14 https://t.co/m7X7yD5ea1

— Univers Chelsea (@UniversCFC) February 15, 2026

In fact, the 2017/18 campaign would be his only season in England, as over the course of the next four seasons, he was loaned to AC Milan, former club Monaco, Napoli, and AC Milan again, before he was finally taken off Chelsea's hands by Lorient on a free transfer. He was last seen as a free agent, as his brief four-game stint at Greek side PAOK failed to impress.

Bakayoko was a £40 million signing, so it’s hard to forget that he did actually play for Chelsea. However, over those four years of loan moves, many fans, including myself, entirely forgot that he was still a Chelsea employee, and that is why he makes number one on this list.