Ranking Chelsea Players in Social Follower Growth in 16/17 Season
Chelsea haven't just been winning on the pitch this season. Away from matches, those in the Stamford Bridge dressing room have been making gains across social media.
While the club's main social accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter boast over a combined 66 million followers, the likes of Eden Hazard and David Luiz are picking up some serious weight behind them.
And of course, this is football, and as we know, everything in football is a competition. Who has the most winners' medals? Who has scored the most goals? Who drives the fastest car?
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Those contests have always been fought out among squads. In the 21st century, social media reach adds another category to compete in.
So who not only rules the roost at Stamford Bridge, but who has picked up the most followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the past season?
Join Bleacher Report for some rankings of a different kind as we count down Chelsea's top five social media users who have been most successful in 2016/17.
5. Gary Cahill: 4.8 million
He's the Chelsea captain-elect now that John Terry has finally departed Stamford Bridge after 22 years, and it seems Gary Cahill's status has meant Blues supporters are taking a bit more notice of him away from the pitch as a result.
The defender isn't the most glamorous name in the Chelsea squad, but he makes it into the top five on social growth from the past year, increasing his audience by just shy of five million extra followers.
Cahill often keeps his social accounts as strictly business, too. Not one to give insights to his personal life, he usually posts about his charity work or uses social media to express admiration for those he plays with.
When the clock was ticking down on Terry's career, Cahill was often posting pics of the pair together during their time as Chelsea team-mates, as his Instagram post below shows.
So if you want some thoughts from the Chelsea dressing room, Cahill is good value. If you want insight to the life of a footballer, there are others on this list who are more open.
Follow Gary Cahill on:
4. David Luiz: 6.2 million
It's actually surprising to see Chelsea's No. 1 geezer not higher on this list. David Luiz isn't just active across social platforms; he provides some fun content that can be hilarious at times.
Whether it's pictures of his family or more recently his time on holiday now that the season is over, Luiz takes fans away from west London and into the heart of his life.
Not only that, when he has a special training routine to prepare himself for big matches, Luiz isn't afraid to give away some trade secrets. Take his work out ahead of the FA Cup final against Arsenal. Now, how do elite players get themselves fine-tuned for a big occasion? With a little fun, if you're David Luiz!
Luiz's slow-mo video of him completing a scissor-kick volley to score a golazo in his garden got over 1.6 million views on Instagram. Not only was it a fine piece of skill, it showed us that the legend of Luiz is very much a real thing.
Follow David Luiz on:
3. Cesc Fabregas: 7 million
Cesc Fabregas is a dab hand when it comes to assists, but he also has something close to the Midas touch with his social media game.
The Spaniard isn't content with getting the better of his opponents—he even does it to his team-mates and lets the whole world know all about it on social media.
Recently it was Terry who fell victim to Fabregas when he donned his symbolic magic hat in training ahead of the FA Cup final, nutmegging him in a training-ground drill. The cameras from the press had been switched off by this stage, but the moment the players were back in the dressing room, Cesc was on social media to let us know of Terry's misfortune.
This season Fabregas has celebrated the birth of his son on social media, along with his goals, assists and Chelsea's title triumph. He hasn't backed down from the opportunity to put the world to rights regarding his Chelsea future, either.
It's all helped grow his following by seven million.
Follow Cesc Fabregas on:
2. Eden Hazard: 7.1 million
Named Chelsea's Player of the Season for 2016/17 by Blues supporters, Eden Hazard has had to get used to coming in second when it comes to the personal accolades this term.
He may have got the fans' vote, but when it came to his fellow professionals and team-mates, Hazard lost out to N'Golo Kante for Chelsea's Player of the Year and also at the FWA and PFA awards.
When it comes to social media following in 2016/17, Hazard comes in second again. Still, with over 7.1 million extra followers in the past 12 months, he can hardly feel too disappointed.
Hazard's social media following has been growing rapidly ever since he used Twitter to tease the footballing community about his future in 2012. He toyed with fans about where he might end up, before eventually declaring he would be joining Chelsea.
We wouldn't say he's matured since that time, but Hazard's posts are jokes of a different kind these days. Whether it's praising Kurt Zouma for his skills with a barbecue or teasing Thibaut Courtois about his height, the Belgian is as crafty on social media as he is on the pitch.
Follow Eden Hazard on:
1. Willian: 11.5 million
When it comes to dancing and playing music, there isn't a better player at Stamford Bridge than Willian it seems. And fans across social media clearly agree, with the Brazilian picking up an extra 11.5 million followers in the past 12 months.
It's a staggering amount, but equally no surprise when you look at the Brazilian's output. He's a regular with Instagram stories, and when Chelsea celebrated their title win on the pitch against Sunderland, he was live-streaming much of it to his followers.
He also provides some, well, illustrative pre-match teasers on Instagram and Twitter, whetting the appetite for some weekend fun whenever the Blues are in action.
Being Brazilian, Willian has a lust for life, and away from the pitch, he has shown himself to be a keen amateur musician. He plays drums with his friends and even sings on the odd occasion.
It's not all football content, but clearly the fans are loving it.
Follow Willian on:
*All data courtesy of Brandtix
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