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Chelsea's 100+ years as a club has seen thousands of players go through the gates of Stamford Bridge. The Blues have had a rich history of top players wearing their jerseys. Though many rival fans tend to see nothing before the Roman Abramovich era began in 2003.
While several players have worn jerseys for Chelsea, only a few have had the opportunity to wear the captain's armband. The numbers are significantly less when compared with other clubs. This is because the Blues have had a few players captaining their side for over a decade.
John Terry is the first name that pops up for fans when 'Chelsea captain' is mentioned. However, he is not the longest-serving captain in the club's history.
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In this article, we take a look at the longest-serving captains in Chelsea's history:
#5 - Micky Droy and Colin Pates (4 years)
Micky Droy captained Chelsea from 1980 to 1984 before moving to Crystal Palace. He joined the club in 1970 and experienced two relegations and as many promotions.
He was part of Chelsea's turbulent period and the fans will never forget his contribution to the club. The defender played over 270 games for the club and was the club's Player of the year in 1978.
He handed over the captaincy to Colin Pates, another defender at the club, during the 1983-84 season. Under Pates' captaincy, Chelsea went on to win the league title that season.
Pates debuted as a teenager in 1979 and was named captain in his early 20s. The Englishman helped them win the Full Member's Cup in 1986 before leaving two years later for Charlton Athletic.
#4 - Frank Blunstone (5 years)
Frank Blunstone was in impressive form for Crewe Alexandra when Chelsea manager Ted Drake splashed £7500 to bring him to the club in 1953. The new signing made his debut at Tottenham Hotspur in 1953. He became an instant hero as he scored the winning goal in the 3-2 win.
Chelsea did not win a trophy under the captaincy of Blunstone. But the Englishman was part of a squad that saw the Blues win their first-ever league title in 1954-55.
He retired at the age of 30 in 1964 due to injuries and immediately joined Chelsea's coaching staff. Blundstone later became Brentford's manager and took charge of Manchester United's youth team and reserve team.
#3 - Dennis Wise (8 years)
Dennis Wise is easily one of the most talented players to ever play for Chelsea. The midfielder joined in 1990 from Wimbledon and stayed at Stamford Bridge for 11 years.
The highly skilled star was handed the captain's armband three years after joining the club. He went on to captain Chelsea until 2001.
Chelsea won six trophies - 2 FA Cups, 1 League Cup, 1 Community Shield, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and 1 Cup Winners Cup – under his leadership. He is still the 2nd most decorated captain in the club's history.
#2 - John Terry (13 years)
John Terry is synonymous with 'Chelsea captain' for modern-day fans, and he has earned it. He is the most decorated captain in the club's history. His trophy list with the Blues includes:
5x PL, 4x FA Cup, 3x League Cups, 2x Community Shields, 1 Champions League, and 1 Europa League.
Terry joined Chelsea from West Ham United in 1995 as a youth player. He spent just a brief period out on loan at Nottingham Forest during his 20+ years at Stamford Bridge. The defender was handed the captain's armband in 2004 after Marcel Desailly left for Al-Gharafa.
Terry has been the face of Roman Abramovich's Chelsea. The numerous managers who came through the doors at the club always trusted the Englishman to lead the side.
Chelsea did not hand Terry a new contract after he turned 37, and that saw him leave the club as a free agent in 2017. The Blues legend refused to join another Premier League side as he did not want to face his former side. He moved to Aston Villa, but could not help them get back into the top flight as they lost the playoff final 1-0 to Fulham.
#1 - Ron Harris (14 years)
Chelsea have a history of giving the captain's armband to their defenders, and Ron Harris is the reason. The Englishman spent almost two decades at the club and is still their longest-serving captain.
Harris also holds the record for the highest number of appearances by a player for Chelsea. He played a whopping 795 games for the Blues. He was handed the captain's armband in 1966. He helped the club win two trophies - the FA Cup in 1070 and the Cup Winners Cup in 1971.
Without a doubt, no player at Chelsea will come close to his time at the club as captain. The only one who could have broken the record, John Terry, left the club a year before he matched the legendary stat.
