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Chelsea are one of the most successful clubs in England and have always been home to some of the biggest superstars of world football. The London outfit has consistently competed at the highest level and has won multiple honors on the domestic and European stage.
Despite being a giant in English football, most of Chelsea's success has come since the turn of the century, after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took ownership of the club. Since then, they have won more trophies than any other club from the land.
Chelsea have won six league titles along with multiple domestic cup triumphs. In addition, the Blues have won the Champions League twice and are the fourth most-successful English club with 34 official titles.
In their storied history, the club has seen many ups and downs. Presently, the Blues are in some distress off the field as their owner Roman Abramovich has been hit with severe sanctions due to his connections with the Russian regime. This has thrown a spanner in the works as far as their impending sale is concerned.
But there have been many glorious chapters in the club's history also. Certain players have been like pillars for the side and have spent a long time serving it. As Chelsea continue to be a leading team in Europen football, let's remember those players who played for the Blues the longest.
So, here are the 5 players with the most appearances for Chelsea to their name.
#5 John Hollins - 505 Appearances
John Hollins played for a number of clubs across the country but his most fruitful spell came with the London outfit. He came through Chelsea's youth academy and played for the club for a total of 13 years in two separate stints.
He made his debut for the club at the age of 17 and was a regular feature for them. Hollins once played 167 consecutive league games, the most for the club till date. He was one of the stars of Chelsea in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
John Hollins won the League Cup and FA Cup with the Blues along with a second division title. He also played for the likes of Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers. After his retirement, he was immediately named as Chelsea's manager in 1985 and coached the club until 1988.
#4 Peter Bonetti - 519 Appearances
Peter Bonetti played for the club for almost two decades in two different spells. He made his Chelsea debut in 1960 and soon established himself as the team's number one goalkeeper.
Bonetti was a key figure for Chelsea in the 1960s as the team began competing for trophies. He helped the Blues to FA Cup glory in 1970, and European Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1971. However, his first major honor with the Londoners came in 1965 as they won the League Cup.
Bonetti also played a crucial role in the Blues earning promotions back to the first-divison on two occasions. He led the side in their 1962-63 and 1976-77 campaigns where they won the second division.
#3 Ron Harris - 603 Appearances
English defender Ron Harris played for the club in the 1960s and the 1970s. He led them to multiple honors after making his debut for them in 1962. Harris quickly established himself as the team's leading defender, a position he held until leaving the club in 1980.
Harris was part of the Chelsea team that won the 1970-71 European Cup Winners' Cup, the 1970 FA Cup, and the 1965 League Cup. The defender also helped the club earn promotion twice in 1963 and 1977.
After leaving the team following an 18-year spell, he played for Brentford for four seasons, seamlessly taking over the role of player-coach.
#2 Frank Lampard - 648 Appearances
Frank Lampard is a modern day great and is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation. He spent the majority of his career at Chelsea and was a part of the most successful period in the history of the club.
The midfielder established himself as a prolific goalscorer, becoming the club's all-time leading scorer with 211 strikes in all competitions. The Englishman won three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, four FA Cups, and two League Cups with the Blues.
Lampard is one of nine players and the only midfielder to have scored more than 150 goals in the Premier League. After retiring, he returned to The Blues as a manager, handling the team from 2019 to 2021. He is the current manager of Everton in the Premier League.
#1 John Terry - 713 Appearances
English defender John Terry captained Chelsea in one of the team's most successful periods. Coming through the youth academy, Terry spent most of his career with the Blues and led them to several domestic and European honors.
During his 19 years with the club, Terry guided them to five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Europa League, and one UEFA Champions League title.
John Terry is the most successful captain in the history of the Premier League as well, becoming the only player to lead his team to the league title on five separate occasions.
Following his departure from The Blues, the ace defender spent one season with Aston Villa in the Championship before retiring. After hanging up his boots, he had a spell with the Villans as part of their managerial team under Dean Smith.
