Several of the greatest midfielders to have played the game have called Stamford Bridge home across the past 120 years, and the individual qualities of each helped the Blues win silverware and create ever-lasting memories for supporters.

And as our Team of 120 vote continues, we reflect upon the contributions of 30 midfielders included on our shortlist, although supporters do have the option of selecting a former blue not highlighted below.

Remember, you have until next week to cast your vote which you can do by clicking the link or via the form at the bottom of this page!

John Tait Robertson

The scorer of the club’s first-ever competitive goal (and a winning one too), Jacky was Scotland’s international skipper and our player-manager who weaved the original tartan thread into the Chelsea tapestry that continued to feature at the club for decades.

Formerly an outside-left who converted to midfield where it was said he had no equal in Britain, he was an aggressive tackler and harrier with a good range of forward passes and eye for goal, especially when there was a scramble in the box.

• The left-half totalled seven goals in his 38 Chelsea appearances

• Only 28 when he was the first to be given the Chelsea managerial reins

• Experience of football both north and south of the border was invaluable in recruiting a team from scratch in the space of one summer, and then in pulling it all together on the pitch as a credible third place was achieved that first season

Nils Middelboe

That he came to be known as ‘the Great Dane’ may have had a lot to do with his 6ft 2in height but it also fitted well with a player who while with Chelsea became the first overseas star in English football.

Hugely skilful and held in high regard, Nils was immediately installed as club captain and his debut was described as sensational. Although his appearance total was curtailed by the First World War and his amateur status which kept him out of away games, he made a lasting impression.

• ‘Our captain and colleague – one of the best’ was the inscription on a silver cigarette box he received from his team-mates upon his departure

• The scorer of Denmark’s first international goal

• As Chelsea’s first player from abroad, he began an enduring club tradition for appreciating overseas talent
  

Andy Wilson

One of a clan of Scotland internationals signed by Chelsea between the wars, the short-in-stature Andy became a favourite with the Stamford Bridge crowd who enjoyed his passing and dribbling ability in a central role.

A modern thinker about the game, he hailed the virtues of a short passing and pressing game over the long-ball approach, though he noted the more cultured way required great fitness levels.

• Scored 10 or more goals in three of his nine Chelsea seasons and was the team’s top scorer in his first

• Losing almost the entire use of his right arm in wartime did not prevent his high achievement on the pitch, and proficiency in a range of other sports

• In 1925 he was the fulcrum of Chelsea’s very successful plan to exploit the new offside law, smartly pinging passes from deep to wingers to hare forward and feed a striker lurking in a previously flaggable position

Ken Armstrong

Signed from the army after the Second World War, for 10 seasons Ken was one of the most selected players and became Chelsea’s record league appearance maker until overtaken by Peter Bonetti.

The reasons why were his ability to run for the whole 90 minutes, ultra-precise passing and utter dependability. Undoubtedly one of the classiest players in Chelsea’s 1955 championship side.

• One of the 13 players to have featured in over 400 games for Chelsea

• Although a midfielder, he was asked to play out of position to replace Tommy Lawton up front and excelled – finishing top scorer in 1947/48

• Also moved into the forward line in 1951 when the team had four must-win games to avoid relegation. He scored three of the eight goals as we were victorious in all.

Terry Venables

The on-field tactician of Tommy Docherty’s Diamonds, Venners orchestrated play with his rich array of passing and his in-depth tactical knowledge, and he was also given the captain’s armband having quickly established himself as the life and soul of the dressing room.

His Blues career ended all too suddenly, though, as a clash of personality with the Doc resulted in him being ushered out after 237 appearances for the club he had joined at the age of 15.

• As he turned 20, he played every minute of our 42 league matches in the 1962/63 promotion season

• Lifted the League Cup as captain in 1965, the club’s first major knockout trophy

• Scored a European hat-trick against Roma, including a goal from a cunning free-kick routine
  

John Hollins

One of the most reliable players of his generation, Holly was far more than a workhorse in the glamorous side of the ‘60s and early ‘70s, with the fans recognising his input by twice voting him Player of the Year.

He may have had the ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ look of a choirboy, but behind the angelic exterior was a ferocious competitor and selfless player who also had tremendous technical ability, scoring 64 goals in just shy of 600 games played

• Having returned in the 1980s as player/coach that led to a stint as manager, he’s in the top five for all-time Chelsea appearances

• At 17 years old, became the club’s youngest-ever skipper when given the role for a League Cup game in 1964

• Scorer of an iconic, lung-busting goal at home to Arsenal when he retrieved his own crossbar strike to beat the retreating Gunners to the rebound and fire home

John Boyle

Having been Scotland-born, Boylers made a remarkable start at Chelsea, first turning up on spec at Stamford Bridge as a 15-year-old and being signed up, and then marking his debut in Roy of the Rovers fashion when he netted a belter against Aston Villa to settle the first leg of a League Cup semi-final.

However, rather than goalscoring he became known more for his unrelenting effort and tough tackling. An unsung hero who appeared 266 times for the club.

• Unbeaten in his first nine games, right up to winning the League Cup over two legs

• The 18-year-old became Chelsea’s youngest to play in the final of that competition

• This mostly midfielder featured at right-back in our famous Cup Winners’ Cup final win over Real Madrid in 1971
  

Alan Hudson

The catalyst that turned the ‘Kings of the King’s Road’ side into winners. Chelsea at the end of the Swinging Sixties had plenty of quality, grit and swagger but it was not until a teenager from just down the road broke into the side that it all came together.

Gliding around the midfield with the ball and playing perfectly placed penetrating passes, Huddy was unlucky to miss the 1970 FA Cup final games due to injury having been much involved on the road to Wembley (and Old Trafford), but he was absolutely outstanding when Real Madrid were overcome a year later to win our first European trophy.

• Scored a famous last-minute winner in a cup semi-final at Tottenham with a low free-kick from out wide

• Having grown up half a mile away from Stamford Bridge, he is probably our most local player ever

• Among his 14 goals for Chelsea was the ‘goal that never was’ when his shot went wide, hit the stanchion at the back of the net and bounced back onto the pitch, and the referee whistled for what proved to be a winner against Ipswich

Ray Wilkins

A midfield maestro who broke through just after a very successful era came grinding to a halt, Butch was the player who manager Eddie McCreadie built his youthful side around.

After becoming the club’s youngest-ever full-time skipper aged 18, he won the Player of the Year award and followed it up with that honour again as he led the club out of the Second Division. Only dire financial problems denied us many years of this magnificent footballer running the show at the Bridge.

• The team’s top scorer in 1975/76 when he played every game

• Also ever present in the 1976/77 promotion campaign that followed

• The fee received on his departure to Man United was a Chelsea record at the time
  

Mike Fillery

A homegrown player who added a touch of style to our midfield play in our Second Division late ‘70s/early ‘80s days, Mickey made his debut aged just 18.

He had the unenviable task of taking on playmaking duties from the departed Ray Wilkins but succeeded in being our top scorer for the season on two occasions and was voted Chelsea Player of the Year in 1982.

• It was in that 1981/82 season he showcased his impressive shooting ability in front of one of the biggest Stamford Bridge crowds for years – with a free-kick in an FA Cup game vs Spurs

• Scored in both legs of a shock League Cup win over high-flying Southampton in 1981 (the Saints qualified for Europe that season)

• Final goal tally from midfield was 41 goals from 181 games

John Bumstead

A player who industriously patrolled the middle of the park for the best part of 13 seasons, Johnny B was not only the midfield destroyer of the side with his fearless and tough tackling, he could belt in goals too with a wicked shot. Twice a Second Division and twice a Full Members’ Cup winner.

• Contributed seven goals to the first of those promotion seasons in 1983/84

• A long run of strong form for the team five years later was bookended by Bumstead goals against Leeds – the second the winner that captured promotion and the title

• One of the select band to have played more than 400 games for the club
  

Nigel Spackman

So good we signed him twice. Big, blond Nigel was the run-all-day energy and smart passing that complemented John Bumstead in midfield as Chelsea made our fans proud for the first time in years.

He returned after five years away as a trophy winner north and south of the border and played an important role in our first European campaign for 23 years.

• Cost a bargain £40,000 from Bournemouth

• Scored the first goal of the phoenix-rising 1983/84 season on his debut, to start the promotion bandwagon rolling

• The team’s only ever-present the following season as we achieved our best league finish since 1970 and reached a cup semi-final

Dennis Wise

A tricky winger turned all-round midfielder while at Chelsea, Wisey was undoubtedly one our most important players of the 1990s.

His fondness for some of the ‘dark arts’ of football led to many outside Stamford Bridge overlooking his huge talent with the ball at his feet. His own fans adored him, though, as did his team-mates as he played a big part in harmonising a dressing room of newly arrived foreign superstars with an English core.

• The most successful captain in Chelsea history prior to John Terry, with six trophies lifted

• Our first player signed for a million pounds

• Included in his 76 goals is a very memorable one in the San Siro

Eddie Newton

One of the unsung heroes of the nineties rise to be trophy winners, Eddie played the Makelele role before it had that name and perfected his version of the Cruyff turn in the middle of all the action. He seemed on the verge of an England call-up ahead of Euro ’96 before an ill-timed broken leg struck. He returned to win three major trophies.

• Three years after conceding a penalty in the 1994 FA Cup final, there was joyous redemption when he scored against Middlesbrough at Wembley three years later

• Pushed up front as an emergency striker at White Hart Lane in ’92, he didn’t disappoint by scoring both our goals in a victory

• A bright football brain was also put to great use in coaching roles that peaked at Munich in 2012

Ruud Gullit

The signing of the dreadlocked Dutchman was a watershed moment in the history of Chelsea Football Club, with Ruudi’s arrival announcing our intent to ditch decades of relative mediocrity and reach for the stars. While the limbs of this superstar footballer who had once been the world’s best were now creaking, he was still a cut above anything we had seen in west London for years, even as a sweeper.

• It was often said he could excel in any position but it was when moved into midfield we saw the best of him at Chelsea

• One of his famous bullet headers powered the team into the lead in an FA Cup semi versus Man United although sadly the game slipped away

• However, his second season was as player-manager and he led us to Wembley glory

Dan Petrescu

The signing that ensured Glenn Hoddle’s playing-style revolution fell into place, the Romanian wing-back who turned into a midfielder had football intelligence to burn. Dan’s smart positioning, passing and running was a major strength when a rush of trophies came in 1997 and 1998. The first foreign player to appear in 200 games for Chelsea.

• Experience of European football was crucial as Chelsea became regulars in UEFA competition

• Scorer of a great goal on a great night when Arsenal were vanquished in a semi-final in Luca Vialli’s first game in charge

• Loved the club so much he called his daughter Chelsea

Roberto Di Matteo

Only Didier Drogba surpasses Robbie as the king of Chelsea’s Wembley cup final goals. Signed at his peak from Serie A, this player with poise oiled Chelsea’s midfield moves as we rose to become winners at the close of the last Millennium and although serious injury sadly curtailed his on-pitch influence, what a return he made as manager with the biggest prize of all secured for the club for the first time.

• A Chelsea record signing at the time, costing £4.9 million, there was a fan riot at Lazio’s offices when they let him go

• His 43-second thunderbolt in 1997 was at the time the quickest scored in FA Cup final history

• Thirty-five-yard goals against Tottenham and Arsenal were some of the sweetest Chelsea strikes ever seen

Gustavo Poyet

A record of 49 goals from 145 appearances was a scoring rate that was simply unheard of for a Chelsea midfielder until Frank Lampard made the move to west London. Gus was expert at timing his runs into the box immaculately, most spectacularly against Sunderland on the opening day in 1999 when he crashed home an acrobatic volley.

• Overcame an ACL injury early in his debut season to score on his first start back as a big deficit was overcome to send us into the Cup Winners’ Cup final

• Netted twice in a famous 5-0 victory over European champions Man United, and at Wembley against Newcastle in another semi-final

• Nicknamed ‘Radio’ because he never stopped talking!

Frank Lampard

After 13 years, 648 appearances and a club-record 211 goals, Lamps departed Chelsea as, in many people’s eyes, our greatest-ever player.

Whether it is the title-decider in Bolton, his spinning half-volley against Bayern at the Bridge, his cheeky chip from the tightest of angles in Camp Nou, or any number of crucial contributions he made to our 21st-century success, every supporter will have their own favourite Lampard moment.

• An incredible work ethic ensured the younger Lampard added new qualities to his armoury every season

• The highest scoring midfielder in Premier League history, and seventh-highest in any position

• Has the fourth-most Chelsea appearances

Claude Makelele

Declared the battery in his expensive watch by Claudio Ranieri on signing for the team, the metronomic Maka was equally valued by Jose Mourinho when only his midfield partner Frank Lampard played more games on the way to the historic 2004/05 title.

His positioning, anticipation and wisdom, plus stamina allied with clever and rapid pass selection, were key to the Blues becoming winners.

• Two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and two League Cups – that’s five trophies in five memorable years

• A real bolt from the Blue – a 30-yard rocket to score at Spurs was as brilliant as it was unexpected

• The first winner of the Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year award

Michael Essien

There are those who will remember the Ghanaian midfielder simply for his breathtaking strikes against Arsenal and Barcelona, both of which notched Michael a Goal of the Season award at Chelsea, but that is forgetting the selfless player who never stopped running and gave his all in a variety of positions – all for the good of the team.

This is a man, let us not forget, who played in an FA Cup final as a centre-back and a Champions League final at right-back.

• Our most expensive player at the time of his signing from Lyon

• Collected eight winner’s medals for major competitions while at Chelsea

• In the season of his award-winning goal against Arsenal, 2006/07, he also was voted our Player of the Year

Michael Ballack

The prospect of seeing Germany’s ruthless goalscoring central midfielder alongside Frank Lampard was tantalising for Chelsea fans in the summer of 2006 and though Michael maybe did not hit quite the same heights as the earlier years of his career, he enjoyed a fruitful stay at Chelsea.

His best form came in the 2007/08 campaign as we fell agonisingly short on three fronts, but he was a vital part of the Double-winning side two years later.

• Tall and strong in the air, there were impressively-headed goals among his 26 for Chelsea

• The Blues had a collection of reliable deadball strikers at the time but on one of the occasions when he did assume penalty-taking duties, he netted twice from the spot in a 2-1 win over Man United

• Scored a semi-final winner that took Chelsea to the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley

John Mikel Obi

Transformed from a no.10 into a powerfully-built holding midfielder with exceptional ball skills upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge, Mikel was a regular throughout his time at the Bridge.

He delivered his best on the biggest stages, most notably in May 2012 when he produced a titanic performance against Bayern Munich to help bring the Champions League to west London for the first time.

• Ended his first season with the 2007 FA Cup when he played the whole game as we beat Manchester United in the first final at the new Wembley. He went on to feature in two other winning FA Cup finals, and claimed two Premier Leagues

• One of the select band of overseas players to pass the 350-game mark for the club

• While a Chelsea player, he was in the team of the tournament after starring in Nigeria’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations triumph

Nemanja Matic

An important cog in teams that landed our two most recent Premier League triumphs, Nemanja employed his height and muscle alongside the creativity of Cesc Fabregas, with N’Golo Kante adding an energetic injection to the latter triumph.

Those title wins came in the Serb’s second stint at the Bridge, having previously been here as a youngster for our Double season of 2009/10.

• It was Jose Mourinho who brought him back to the Bridge and in the 2014/15 league win, the midfielder started all but three of the games

• Scored an absolute screamer against Tottenham at Wembley to complete an FA Cup semi-final win

• Played in 35 of the 38 games in the 2016/17 title triumph, and scored in the victory prior to the one that won the league

Ramires

A Brazilian equally popular among fans and team-mates due to his relentless work ethic, Rami earned legendary status thanks to his spectacular efforts against Manchester City and Barcelona, which won him back-to-back Goal of the Season awards.

He lifted every major domestic and European honour during his five-and-a-half years at the Bridge, making 251 appearances along the way.

• Opened the scoring in the 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Liverpool in 2012

• Although suspended for the Champions League final win that same year, he played 10 games and scored three goals in the rest of the competition

• The Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year award winner for 2011/12

Juan Mata

One of a select band of players voted Chelsea Player of the Year on more than one occasion, Juan won that accolade at the end of one of the greatest campaigns of all – 2011/12. It was his corner that was powered home by Didier Drogba in Munich to keep the quest to be London’s first European champions alive.

Shortly before that he had assisted for Ramires to score in an FA Cup final win. The following season was the one he rated his best at Chelsea and his set-piece delivery was again crucial in winning a European trophy.

• It was from a Mata corner that Branislav Ivanovic headed the deciding goal in the 2013 Europa League final against Benfica

• He was named Man of the Match in the 2012 FA Cup final triumph over Liverpool

• Popular as well as a skilful playmaker, he was a Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year winner

Cesc Fabregas

A successor to Frank Lampard in the Blues midfield, it was assists ahead of goals that Cesc delivered in spades. A true playmaker who arrived off the back of huge success with Barcelona and Spain, he made 198 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 22 goals during a glistening spell in which he won it all domestically.

• An outstanding 57 assists were supplied, including two on his debut

• His trophy count was two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and a League Cup

• Included in his goals were London derby winners at Palace and QPR on the way to winning the league in 2014/15

N’Golo Kante

A ball hunter extraordinaire who added more to his game during his seven trophy-laden years at Stamford Bridge, N’Golo was the unassuming selfless force who collected individual awards at a similar rate to team trophies.

Impressive goals were added to his repertoire and he was simply outstanding as Chelsea closed in on the Champions League in 2021, winning player-of-the-match awards in ties against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and when Manchester City were beaten in the final.

• The France international, who also lifted the World Cup with his nation during his time as a Blue, collected the Premier League and the FA Cup domestically, plus the Champions League, the Europa League and the Super Cup in Europe as well as the FIFA Club World Cup

• Named PFA Player of the Year, the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season at the end of his first Blues season

• The following year, it was the Chelsea fans’ turn to vote him our Player of the Year

Jorginho

It was on the European stage especially the Brazilian-born Italian international excelled during four-and-a-half years at Chelsea.

With his controlling midfield play built on rapid, precise passing, Jorgi starred in the Europa League final of 2019 when Arsenal were thumped and was then prominent on the road to Porto. He was part of the Champions League-winning side. With a hop-skip-jump technique, he was also one of our most effective penalty takers.

• A total of 27 of his 29 goals were penalties, including two in one game five times and an injury-time winner against Leeds

• As well the Champions League and the Europa League, he also won the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup and was vice-captain

• After adding Euro 2020 with Italy to his Chelsea Champions League triumph, he was named the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and came third in the Ballon d’Or voting

Mason Mount

An academy graduate who became the youngest player to captain the side since John Terry, Mason also followed in JT’s footsteps by winning the Champions League.

It was his characteristically sharp decision-making that sent Kai Havertz through for the only goal of the game in Porto in 2021, having scored in the quarter-final and semi-final. With his quality passing and eye for a goal, he had broken through the season before and the year after becoming a European champion, he helped the Blues claim the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

• Made more than 50 appearances in his debut season, a feat no other academy graduate had previously achieved

• Top appearance maker and Player of the Year in the Champions League-winning season

• The campaign after was his best for goals, with 13, and he was Player of the Year for a second consecutive year