5 players you didn't know played for Chelsea 

Chelsea saw a transformation in their fortunes when they were taken over by Roman Abramovich in 2003 and with his status as one of the richest men in the world, the Russian oligarch transformed the club from an average one into European heavyweights almost overnight.

Spurred on by his endless financial backing, they went on a spending spree that saw multiple word-beaters arrive at Stamford Bridge, with Jose Mourinho also paving the way for legendary managers to occupy the dugout.

While some clubs have towed this path and failed to achieve success, this was not the case for Chelsea and no fewer than 16 major trophies have been won in the 16 years since Abramovic arrived, which is significantly more than any other English club has managed in that time.

Several players played a key role in these successes and while some like Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba, John Obi Mikel, and Petr Cech among others cemented their legacies as bonafide Blues legends, there are others who passed through without much of a whimper.

In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of five players who did not leave a major mark while representing Chelsea.

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#5 Didier Deschamps (1999-2000)

Didier Deschamps spent one season at Stamford Bridge

Didier Deschamps was part of the World Cup winning squad with France in 1998 and 20 years later, he joined an illustrious list of just three men to have won the prestigious trophy as a player and coach.

His club career was highly associated with Marseille and Juventus, winning the Champions League with both (and is the youngest captain to lift the trophy when he did so with the French side).

Deschamps brought his spell in Italy to an end when he made the transfer to West London but his languid and slow style of play was in sharp contrast to the faster-paced Premier League, which brutally exposed him as a defensive midfielder.

He made just 27 appearances for the Blues before transferring to Valencia and announced his retirement a year later.

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#4 Fabio Borini (2009-2011)

Fabio Borini celebrates a Chelsea goal with Frank Lampard

When anyone mentions Fabio Borini, what instantly comes to mind is Brendan Rodgers' first signing at Anfield who went on to become a Liverpool flop. However, only a few might know that he had earlier arrived in England when he signed for the Chelsea academy from Bologna in 2007.

After two seasons of development with the youth sides, he made the step-up to the first team but found it difficult to dislodge established forwards like Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba, and Nicolas Anelka.

He spent two years on the peripheries of the first-team (chiefly due to a Hernia problem), before embarking on a loan spell to Championship side Swansea City in March 2011 but despite playing a key role in the Swans' first-ever promotion to the Premier League, the transfer was not made permanent.

A controversial move to Roma in the summer of 2011 ended his four-year association with Chelsea and in his time in West London, he made just eight appearances in all competitions and failed to find the back of the net.

#3 Scott Parker (2004-2005)

Scott Parker represented Chelsea in his early playing days

Scott Parker made a name for himself first with West Ham, where as captain, he was named the FWA Player of the Year and nominated for the PFA Player of the Year in 2011 for his performances in midfield (despite West Ham's relegation).

That summer, he signed for Tottenham and continued his upward trajectory, instantly becoming a fan favourite, with his ball-winning abilities as a holding midfielder acting as the springboard for his forward-thinking teammates like Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, and Rafael Van der Vaart to wreck havoc.

He was named the England Player of the Year in 2011 and named into the PFA Team of the Year in 2012 before injuries ultimately derailed his career.

However, before hitting the limelight in East and North London, Parker had shown promise at a young age and became the first player to represent clubs from East, West, North, and South London in the Premier League, having starred for Charlton and Chelsea in the past.

He completed a move to Stamford Bridge in January 2004 but could not get playing time due to the presence of top performers in midfield like Frank Lampard, Tiago Mendes, and Claude Makelele, before he was sold to Newcastle United in July 2005 having made just 15 Premier League appearances in 18 months.

#2 Mateja Kezman (2004-2005)

Mateja Kezman underwhelmed in one year at Chelsea

After scoring goals for fun and winning numerous titles and individual accolades with PSV, Mateja Kezman completed a transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2004. The former Serbian international had averaged almost a goal a game in the Eredivisie and big things were expected of him as the figurehead of the ambitious Chelsea but this largely failed to happen.

He did not get going in the Premier League, waiting until December to open his account and did not score again until March, with his total of seven goals from 41 matches in all competitions disappointing to say the least.

Kezman failed to step up to the plate at Chelsea and his career at Stamford Bridge is largely classified as a failure and even though he scored the winning goal in the final of the 2005 League Cup against Liverpool, nobody was really surprised when the club sold him to Atletico Madrid after just one season.

He won three Golden Boots in the Eredivisie but failed to find his scoring boots in the Premier League and in many ways, Kezman's dire display in England helped raise scepticism over goalscoring exploits in The Netherlands, with future top scorers like Wilfred Bony, Vincent Janssen, Memphis Depay, and Afonso Alves all failing to cut the grade in the Premier League.

#1 Hernan Crespo (2003-2008)

Hernan Crespo signed for Chelsea in 2003

Hernan Crespo is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation and after starring for River Plate in his native Argentina, he went on to global acclaim at first Lazio and then AC Milan

However, before making waves as the strike partner of Andriy Shevchenko at AC Milan and scoring a brace in the final of the 2005 Champions League, the former Argentine international had signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2003.

Just one season was spent at Stamford Bridge before a loan transfer was completed to the Rossonerri and despite returning after one year away, Crespo failed to displace Didier Drogba in the starting lineup before returning back to former side Inter Milan on loan.

Hernan Crespo was a Chelsea player for five years, but just two of those were spent at the club and while his record of 25 goals from 73 matches in all competitions might not exactly be disastrous, the fact that he came with such a high reputation but failed to make a mark at the club means that he does not enjoy the same adulation at Stamford Bridge that he did at Parma and Lazio.