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#3 Peter Osgood (1964 - 1974 & 1978 - 1980)
The only Chelsea player to have a statue outside Stamford Bridge, Peter Osgood made quite an impact during his time at the club.
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Like Didier Drogba many decades later, Osgood had the talent to score in key games, netting in major cup finals three seasons in a row. He helped Chelsea win the European Cup Winner's Cup, scoring in the final, as well as the replay of the final, where the Blues held off the mighty Real Madrid. He also won the English League Cup in 1965 and the FA Cup in 1970.
His performances were even more impressive considering the fact that Osgood suffered a broken leg in 1966. Considered a serious injury even now, back then it was more worrying, as it would often lead to retirement or a sharp decline in footballing prowess. Fortunately for Osgood, that wasn't the case, as he kept scoring the goals that led to his lofty place in Chelsea folklore.
Osgood was sold by the club in 1974 to Southampton before he returned for a brief spell at the end of his career. By the time he retired, Osgood had made 380 appearances for the club, scoring 150 goals.
'The Wizard of Os', as he is fondly remembered, deserves his place on any list of Chelsea's greatest players, let alone a list of Chelsea's best English players.
#2 Frank Lampard (2001 - 2014)
Already an established Premier League midfielder when he joined Chelsea, Frank Lampard took his game to new heights at the Blues, becoming the club's all-time top scorer during an incredible 13-year spell.
Lampard played a key role in Chelsea’s remarkable run of trophy successes from 2005 to 2013. He scored the goal that sealed the league title for the first time in half a century for Chelsea, and later added an FA Cup final win at Wembley.
He netted in the Blues' first Champions League final in 2008, was a supreme penalty taker, and no one played more games in the league and cup campaigns that yielded Chelsea's 2010 double. Lampard jointly lifted European trophies with John Terry in 2012 and 2013, having led the team on the pitch in successive finals.
Renowned for his peerless ability to find space in the area, and then the net, Lampard eclipsed Bobby Tambling’s long-standing Chelsea record of 202 goals, before leaving in 2014 after scoring 211 times.
Lampard had a trophy-laden career at Chelsea, winning three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups, as well as one Europa League and Champions League title.
A three-time Chelsea Player of the Year, Lampard was named the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year in 2005, and was also the runner-up in the Ballon d'Or race that year.
Lampard's 13 years at the Bridge means he is one of the finest players in Chelsea’s history, and many say he's the best midfielder in Premier League history as well.
#1 John Terry (1999 - 2017)
'Captain, Leader, Legend', John Terry was 'Mr. Chelsea', a player who progressed from the youth level to the senior ranks. Terry made his first-team debut at the age of 17, in a League Cup tie against Aston Villa.
What followed next was a near 20-year run at the club, where Terry would go on to establish himself as not only one of the greatest Chelsea players of all time, but also one of the best defenders the Premier League has ever seen.
During his time at Chelsea, Terry led the club to five Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, one Europa League, and famously, one Champions League, where he helped to banish the demons from his penalty-shootout miss in 2008.
John Terry was named the UEFA Club Defender of the Year on three occasions, and was named in the FIFPro World XI for five consecutive seasons. He was also named the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2005.
Terry was an incredible reader of the game, and a gifted passer, often proving to be the catalyst for the club's attacks, especially under Jose Mourinho. The defender was also known for scoring goals; he's the highest-scoring defender in Chelsea's history, netting 41 times in all competitions.
Terry was disliked by plenty of opposition fans, who perhaps begrudgingly knew just how good he was. He was a mainstay of the club's defence, forming some incredible partnerships during his time there. No wonder Terry is seen as one of the best ever to don Chelsea's famous royal blue jersey.
