Picking a Chelsea Cult Heroes XI

The word "hero" is often thrown about too much in the modern era without a real sense of what the word means. Saving the club from relegation with a five-minute hat-trick may result in obtaining the coveted tag or scoring the winner in a cup final.

Taking away success, there may be a one-club man who gave his all for his club. Many names spring to mind in those terms, and therefore it's very difficult to define a hero on one factor.

It's fair to say that in their 108-year history, Chelsea have had many heroes. And here, we take a look at trying to line them up in the best starting XI possible.

It's not going to be easy, and several names will be disappointed not to make the cut. Be sure to let us know who you feel should have made the cut.

GK: Peter Bonetti

The wonderful fact about Peter Bonetti's rise to the top just shows how much football has evolved. Back in 1960, Bonetti was on the books at Reading as a rising goalkeeper in their youth team. However, his mother felt he could do better.

She wrote a letter to Chelsea urging them to give her son a trial, and after wowing coaches at the club, he helped them win the FA Youth Cup before making his first-team debut. From there, he never looked back.

During his first spell with the West London outfit that spanned to 15 years, Bonetti was the first-choice goalkeeper without a doubt, clocking up 495 appearances and showing the kind of loyalty that many players fail to produce these days.

He won three trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge, securing the FA Cup in 1970 after losing at the first attempt in 1967 before also emerging triumphant in the League Cup and European Cup Winners Cup.

In that game, he was the difference between victory and defeat, limiting a talented Real Madrid side to just one goal as Chelsea went on to win the trophy and led to him rightfully being named the Football Writer's Association Player of the Year runner-up.

After taking on a new challenge with St. Louis Stars in the North American Soccer League (NASL), he returned to the club after just one year with the American club. He retired in 1979, shortly after reaching the impressive landmark of 600 games for Chelsea, but his name will forever be remembered at Stamford Bridge.

RB: Dan Petrescu

Petrescu was often a popular figure around Stamford Bridge after a five-year stint that commenced in 1995, when he was brought from Premier League rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

The little Romanian, who stands at just 5'7" and was famous for wearing baggy kit over his slight frame, was a consistent performer under Glenn Hoddle and then Gianluca Vialli, making 152 appearances and scoring 17 goals in the process.

Always a consistent performer for the Blues, Petrescu was a Romanian international and earned 95 caps, scoring 12 times for his country.

He was an unlikely source of goals for a full-back, and England fans may remember when he scored a last-minute winner to give his country a shock 2-1 victory at the 1998 World Cup in France.

An honourable mention should go to Paulo Ferreira, who has recently completed his ninth and last year of his Chelsea career as he moves on to pastures anew after over 200 appearances in total for the West London club. 

CB: John Terry

They say that no man is ever bigger than a club, but John Terry is certainly Mr. Chelsea and there's no way that title can be taken away from him. 

A banner depicting the 32-year-old as "Captain, Leader, Legend" is a common occurrence at Stamford Bridge, and that's the way he'll be remembered when he hangs up his boots.

But despite several blips this season, there's no doubt that Terry will be sticking around for quite a bit longer after Chelsea confirmed Jose Mourinho will take charge of the club for a second spell.

As an ally of the Portuguese boss, Terry is more than likely to significantly add to his tally of 574 appearances, having been a key part of their back-to-back league title successes in 2005 and 2006.

Terry fell out of favour last season under Rafa Benitez due to the Spaniard's rotation policy that saw the former England captain make only 27 appearances in all competitions, his lowest total since the 2000-01 season.

Nevertheless, there is no doubt the former Nottingham Forest loanee can get his career back on track under Mourinho and continue to live in the glory of being hailed a hero by the Chelsea faithful. 

CB: Marcel Desailly

Signing a World Cup winner is always a luxury, and Marcel Desailly's arrival from AC Milan in 1998 marked a new, flashy style of play at Stamford Bridge under Gianluca Vialli.

After five years with the Rossoneri, Desailly opted to move to Chelsea, who were on the fringes of European football at the time. A £4.6 million fee was a fairly hefty amount for a player who was due to turn 30 the year the Blues signed him.

But his impact he made during his six-year spell cannot be ignored. The France international formed a formidable defensive partnership with his compatriot Frank Leboeuf. They won the FA Cup together in 2000 and followed that up weeks later by winning the European Championship with their country.

A cool head under pressure, Desailly was a key member of the side, and many believe he was an important factor in John Terry's development at Chelsea.

Many foreign players have come and gone at the Bridge, especially defenders, but the effect Desailly had on his teammates and the fans will live in the history books after his retirement in 2006.

LB: Ashley Cole

For all of his off-the-field frivolities, Ashley Cole has become something of an example on the pitch for Chelsea, showing the kind of passion and desire to win that all players should possess.

If the Blues are struggling to impress, it's unusual to see Cole as the reason for their downfall. His positioning, vision and unrivaled stamina underline only some of the reasons why he was handed a new one-year deal by Chelsea.

Despite being in the final years of his career, even at 32, he is showing no signs of letting up. Sure, he may have lost the extra yard of pace that caused some trouble down the left-hand side, but Cole is still one of the most important players at Stamford Bridge.

Over 320 appearances for the club, it seemed that Cole would never leave former club Arsenal when they won the Premier League in 2004.

But Jose Mourinho went head and shoulders above to sign him in 2006, and six years after they last worked together, they are reunited at last as Mourinho makes a return to Chelsea.

CM: Dennis Wise

There's a rather rude song that includes Dennis Wise's name, and it gives some insight as to why he is a popular figure around Stamford Bridge.

For those who don't remember, I'll give you a hint: It's related to a great goal Wise scored against AC Milan at the San Siro when Chelsea drew 1-1 there back in 1999.

Despite his slight stature, Wise was your typical London-born, tough-tackling and combative midfielder. Known for his lack of discipline, he actually missed 15 games in the 1998-99 season due to suspension. Receiving cards was part of his charm and part of his game, and Wise would never apologise for attempting to win a tackle. 

He took over the Chelsea captaincy in 1993 and within a year was leading his team out in an FA Cup final, which they lost 4-0 to Manchester United. His leadership qualities were evident with the influx of foreign players under Gianluca Vialli, as he managed to keep the dressing room together.

In all competitions, Wise made 445 appearances and scored 76 goals, which puts him fifth in the overall list of all-time appearances. Perhaps he would've got to the 500-game mark if he hadn't left for Leicester in 2001, but the supporters will never begrudge welcoming him back to Fulham Road.

CM: Claude Makelele

It's one thing to be a legend at a club; it's another to have a position named after you.

But sure enough, the "Makelele role" is now a household description for a defensive midfielder, defining a player who likes to sit just in front of the defence, intercepting passes from the opposition and breaking up the play if need to be. 

The Frenchman was a class act during his five-year stint in West London. He was hugely respected by his peers for his incredible level of professionalism, and his influence in Jose Mourinho's title-winning seasons was wholly recognised.

In fact, Real Madrid, the club that sold Makelele to Chelsea for £15.8 million in 2003, still regret the decision to offload the former France international. Since his departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2008, Makelele has never really been replaced. Many have tried—namely Lassana Diarra, who was signed as his protege—and have failed to measure up.

There is a hope that one day, he will return to CFC as a coach. But for now, the 40-year-old is assistant manager at PSG and seemingly has no plans to leave just yet.

CM: Frank Lampard

When he was Leeds chairman back in 2001, Peter Risdale had a decision to make. Would he match Chelsea's £11 million offer to sign Frank Lampard or pull out?

He blasted West Ham for their overpriced valuation and opted to pull out. Sadly for him, it would turn out to be one of the worst decisions made in Premier League history.

Lampard has gotten to the top of his game like any other player can: hard work, determination and support from the fans. But while his natural ability has always been a key factor in his incredible career to date, he singles out Jose Mourinho as the man who guided him to greatness.

For a striker to gain a club's all-time goalscoring record is one of the highest privileges, but for a midfielder to achieve the record is something out of this world. Believe or not, the statistics do not lie. In 608 Chelsea appearances, Frank Lampard has scored a mind-boggling 203 goals.

Simply incredible—and to think that he has never been more than a midfielder. His passing and leadership qualities combined with his goalscoring are what make him a true great in Chelsea's and England's recent history.

After working so hard to earn another year's contract at the club, Lampard knows that at 35 years of age, his time in football is edging closer to an end. But until that day comes, Chelsea should be happy with the knowledge they have a living legend amongst their ranks.

CF: Bobby Tambling

For any player making their debut, it is a special occasion that they'll never forget.

Now imagine being a 17-year-old scoring the winner on your debut against London rivals West Ham, and now you're well within the thoughts of Bobby Tambling.

It was the first of an amazing 202-goal haul for Chelsea, which he managed to achieve in just 370 games, and set the all-time goalscoring record for 47 years before Frank Lampard broke it last month.

However, the 71-year-old (pictured above) still has one record yet to be beaten. In the 1966-67 season, Tambling scored five goals in 6-2 win at Aston Villa, and no one has scored more for Chelsea in a league game.

Nevertheless, Tambling's success as a striker for the Blues helped them to promotion, and it was his goals that gave them a taste of success in the 1960s.

He received a hero's welcome when he attended the home game against Swansea, and Tambling can expect that every time he makes an appearance.

CF: Didier Drogba

Before May 19 of last year, Didier Drogba was labelled as one of the best strikers in the world. And rightly so, for he had proved his worth to Chelsea after a £24 million transfer from Marseille in 2004.

Now, Chelsea fans will look back on his time at the club with nostalgia after his heroics in Munich, as the Blues won the Champions League for the first time in their history.

After going 1-0 down, it was Drogba who headed the 89th-minute equaliser to take it to extra time, and despite giving away a penalty after bringing down Franck Ribery, his night was not to be tarnished as Petr Cech saved Arjen Robben's spot-kick.

As the penalty shootout led to the Ivorian, the pressure was on his shoulders, but there was no doubt about the outcome. In what proved to be his last game for Chelsea, Drogba had the last laugh as he wrote his name into the history books.

There's no one way to describe him though. He's not solely a target man, a winger, a trequartista or even an out-and-out striker. Drogba is unique; his powerful frame allows him to make his presence known, and combining that with his sublime eye for goal, he is unstoppable on his day.

In total, he scored 157 goals during his eight-year spell at Chelsea, and although he left for Shanghai Shenhua before arriving at Galatasaray, there are many who would welcome him back with open arms.

CF: Gianfranco Zola

If you're not a lover of Gianfranco Zola then...well, I'm not really sure why you wouldn't be, to be honest.

The little Italian genius, voted the Chelsea's best player ever in a recent survey by supporters, made a huge impact after signing from Serie A outfit Parma for £4.5 million in 1996 and was yet another one of the aging internationals signed by Gianluca Vialli.

But this signing turned out to be a masterstroke from the Italian. Although never prolific, Zola offered so much more than goals.

Moments of sheer brilliance—like his stunning effort against Stuttgart just 25 seconds after coming on in the European Cup Winners' Cup—became something to be expected from the talented forward.

He was instrumental in helping Chelsea qualify for the Champions League in the 2002-03 season, scoring 16 times. In his final appearance, he came on for the last 20 minutes of the win over Liverpool that saw the Blues dramatically claim fourth spot, and it was a fitting ending to this magnificent player's Premier League career.

After Roman Abramovich took over in 2003, he was desperate for Zola to stay and offered him a new one-year contract. However, Zola has always been a man of his word and agreed to join Cagliari, where he ended his playing career in 2005.

Even despite the refusal to continue with the club, Zola returned to England as manager of West Ham in 2008 before taking over as Watford boss last summer. 

A reunion with the smiley Italian has been halted for now, as the Hornets failed to win promotion. But when Zola returns, an excellent reception is there waiting for him.