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Chelsea are arguably the most successful club in the Premier League in the 21st century and have been home to a lot of exciting players. While some of them had a really fruitful career at Stamford Bridge, others were not able to live up to expectations and failed to make any real impact.
Nevertheless, many of the players from Roman Abrahimovich's first decade at Stamford Bridge have since retired, while some, like Frank Lampard, have even gone into management.
Few former Chelsea players are still playing at club level
But while most have retired, there are still a few players from the early and late 2010s who are playing club level football in various countries across the globe. While some are still in Europe, others have gone on to ply their trade in other football leagues around the world.
Here we take a look at five such former Chelsea players who you might not know are still playing club football:
#5 Scott Sinclair - Preston North End
Scott Sinclair arrived at Chelsea as a talented youngster with huge potential. He was signed at the age of just 16 years after becoming the second-youngest debutant for Bristol Rovers in 2005. Sinclair initially flirted with breaking into the first team but just like many other young players he became a victim of Chelsea's loan system.
The winger managed to play just five Premier League games for Chelsea between six different loan spells away from the club. He moved permanently to Swansea in 2010 and finally started to show his true potential, scoring 36 goals in 91 games across two seasons for the club.
But in 2012, the former Chelsea man decided to join another big club in the form of Manchester City. He suffered a somewhat similar fate at City, spending just one season at the club before being loaned out.
Sinclair joined Aston Villa on a permanent deal in 2015 before moving to Celtic the following season. He had a pretty successful spell in the Scottish Premiership, winning three consecutive league titles with Celtic under the management of current Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.
Sinclair then decided to move to Preston North End in January 2020 and is currently plying his trade in the Championship. Remarkably, he's still only 32.
#4 Marko Marin - Ferencvaros
Dubbed the "German Messi," Marko Marin arrived at Chelsea from Werder Bremen for £7 million in 2012.
The attacking midfielder had two successful spells at Borussia Monchengladbach and Werder Bremen. As such, huge expectations were placed on the forward when he arrived at Stamford Bridge.
But the winger was nowhere near the level of quality desired from him and managed to make just 16 appearances during his first season at Chelsea.
He was subsequently sent on numerous loan deals before finally departing Stamford Bridge for Olympiacos in the summer of 2016. He had a decent spell for the Greek side, making 58 appearances across two seasons and producing 22 goal contributions before departing in 2018.
Marin then decided to move to Serbian outfit FK Crvena Zvezda where he decided to spend two seasons before moving to the middle-east with Al Ahli.
Now 32, Marin is back in Europe after joining Hungarian side Ferencvaros on a free transfer this summer.
#3 Filipe Luis - Flamengo
After helping Atletico Madrid to their first league title in 18 years, Filipe Luis decided to try a new challenge and moved to Chelsea for £16 million in 2014.
Luis had turned into one of the best left-backs at the time under the guidance of Diego Simeone. He played a key part in turning Atletico into one of the most formidable teams, making 180 appearances for the side during his four seasons at the club.
As such, Luis was expected to challenge Cesar Azpilicueta for the starting spot when he arrived at Chelsea. But the left-back was unable to make a similar impact during his first and only season at Stamford Bridge.
Luis was able to make just 15 Premier League appearances for the Blues with the defender never quite managing to win the trust of the then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
As such, his time at the club came to an abrupt end and he returned to Atletico Madrid the following season. He was once again able to establish himself as a key part of Simeone's side. He made more than 150 appearances during his second stint with the Los Rojblancos, helping them win the Europa League in 2018. He subsequently left the club in 2019 to join Brazilian side Flamengo on a free transfer.
Now 36, Luis is still a key part of the Flamengo squad and has already mustered more than 100 appearances during his two seasons at the club.
#2 Loic Remy - Rizespor
Loic Remy's brilliant form while on loan at Newcastle in 2013-14 attracted the attention of the Chelsea hierarchy, who decided to sign the striker during the 2014 summer transfer window.
Remy, who had a pretty successful career in France with Marseille and Nice, arrived at Chelsea with the hope of staking a claim for the striker's spot.
But Remy could never become more than a bit-part player at Stamford Bridge during his two seasons at the club, with Diego Costa firmly ahead in the striking department. He was, however, part of the Premier League and League Cup-winning side under Jose Mourinho during the 2014-15 season.
Remy moved to Crystal Palace on loan before joining Las Palmas on a free transfer in 2017.
He also spent two seasons in France with Lille but now, at the age of 34, the striker is plying his trade with Turkish side Rizespor after joining them last season.
#1 John Obi Mikel - Kuwait SC
Without a doubt, the most successful Chelsea player on this list, John Obi Mikel, was a stalwart at Stamford Bridge for over a decade. He won nearly every trophy there was to win with Chelsea, including two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a Champions league.
After making more than 350 appearances for the club, many Chelsea fans would have thought that the Nigerian's career would soon come to an end following his departure in 2017. Yet Mikel, who is now 34, is still going strong having joined a new club this summer.
Following his departure, Mikel moved to Chinese Super League side Tianjin Jinmen Tiger on a free transfer. He spent just two seasons in China before joining Championship side Middlesbrough at the start of 2019.
However, his stay at Middlesbrough did not last long. After spending just six months at the club, Mikel decided to depart for Turkish side Trabzonspor in the summer. He played 24 games for the club before deciding to cancel his contract over concerns about the Super Lig continuing through the coronavirus pandemic.
Mikel returned to the Championship with Stoke City for the 2020-21 season. He was an integral part of the team, playing 39 league games, before departing this summer. He now finds himself plying his trade at Kuwait SC in the Kuwait Premier League.
