At last “we” had got revenge on the Germans for burying my granddad under a pile of rubble when his house, perilously situated close to a military airfield, was bombed by the Luftwaffe. (Just to put your minds at rest he emerged from underneath the rubble four hours later with just a cut on his leg.)

A week after the final, The Times of Malta published a supplement with a few articles and photos of the World Cup. The supplement included all the results and scorers of the matches. I got hooked. While my parents took their siesta away from the hot Maltese sun, I used to sit quietly on our balcony, memorizing every single stat in the Times supplement. Nearly 43 years later I can still tell you confidently that that the Germans beat Switzerland 5-1 in a Group 2 match and Held, Haller (2), Beckenbauer and Seeler scored the German goals. Pak Doo Ik scored for North Korea in their 1 – 0 win against Italy in the shock result of the competition.

This infatuation led me to start poring over the results in The Sunday Times of Malta when the new football season started a few weeks later. The headline “Osgood is Good” caught my eye one day. As a seven year old it didn’t seem corny. A quick glance at the league table showed that this team called Chelsea was top of the table, and a love affair with Chelsea started that day, sometime in September 1966.

I loved the team, but my true love was Ossie. The history books show that he broke his leg soon after and didn’t pull on the blue shirt till nearly a year later, missing out on the 1967 FA Cup Final.

I spent my meagre pocket money at the stationer’s, buying up every magazine that included even just a couple of lines about my hero. Ossie came back from his injury with a bang. The goals flowed, and he regularly headed the Chelsea scoring charts. In 1970 he was top scorer in the First Division as Chelsea won their first ever FA Cup.

Ossie was a player the likes of whom English football had never seen and probably will never see again. He was built like a typical English centre forward of the time, big, 6 foot 3 inches tall, and strong, but he had the skills of a small nimble striker. Think of a cross between Emile Heskey and Wayne Rooney’s best attributes and you can start getting a picture of what he was like.

Ossie was a man for the big occasion. Three times Chelsea made it to the final and three times Ossie got on the scoresheet. In the 1970 FA Cup winning run he scored in every round, a feat still unmatched to this very day.

Ossie’s bad boy image cost him a regular place in the England team then managed by Sir Alf Ramsey. His 103 goals in 279 matches for Chelsea definitely deserved more than his meagre 4 England caps. Ramsey selected him for the England squad for the 1970 World Cup, in which England were defending champions and amongst the favourites. In his autobiography Ossie relates that for the tournament he was rooming with the great Bobby Moore. Ramsey confided in Moore that he was going to pick Osgood for the second group game against Brazil after a rather tepid team performance in the opening match against Romania, in which Osgood had come on as substitute. Moore passed on the good news to his room mate. A couple of hours before the match Ramsey named his team. Osgood wasn’t in it and promptly stormed out of the dressing room. He didn’t win a cap again until Ramsey was close to the end of his tenure in November 1973 in a friendly against Italy. (England lost 1-0 at Wembley that night to a goal by the present England manager Fabio Capello).

After the success in the early seventies, in 1974, true to form, Ossie and his mate Alan Hudson fell out with the Chelsea manager Dave Sexton. Sexton gave the board an ultimatum – either me or them, and the board backed the manager. Ossie was sold to Southampton. While he went on to win the FA Cup with his new team, Chelsea went on a slide that was to last a decade. He came back three years later and played a further ten games scoring two goals. But the old magic had died. The legs were giving way after years of playing on potato fields that passed for playing surfaces in the seventies, and being hacked by cumbersome defenders who found that kicking Ossie was the only way to stop him.

I could write a book of my Ossie memories but one game sticks in mind. Chelsea were 2-0 down from the first leg of the quarter finals of the 1970/71 Cup Winners Cup. Ossie was handed an 8 week ban by the FA, which, as luck would have it, ran out 2 days before the return leg at the Bridge. (Bans in those days went by weeks not games and included European games.) Sexton had told Osgood he was not in the team, telling him he did not think he was match fit. Ossie threw a tantrum and Sexton relented. Chelsea were 1-0 up and out of the competition with five minutes of normal time remaining. Ossie scored the equalizer. He and Tommy Baldwin scored two more in extra time and Chelsea were safely through to the semis. They beat Man City in the semis and the great Real Madrid in the final after a replay. Ossie scored in the original final (1-1) and in the replay (2-1) two days later.

I met Ossie a few times, long after he retired, in the Chelsea Village Hotel where I was staying. Even aged 40, I found myself behaving like a ten year old in his presence. But after a few minutes you felt like you were talking to a long lost friend. He had all the time in the world for all the fans who queued up to have their picture taken with him, many of them dads like me with kids born after Ossie had long retired.

March 1^st 2006. Ossie passed away. I cried when I heard the news on Sky Sports. My friend had died. I went out and bought myself a plane ticket and paid through the nose for a ticket to the Spurs home match for what turned out to be his final farewell. But if ever I spent 300 quid well, that was the day.

We have had many great players playing for us since Ossie retired in 1977. Zola, Vialli, Dennis Wise, Desailly, Kerry Dixon, Gullit, Lamps, JT. But there was only one king as far as I am concerned. Peter Osgood (1947 – 2006)

Later that season we went to another game and, again, Smethurst was deputising for Osgood, who was injured. So, it wasn’t until my third visit to the Bridge, against Southampton in October 1971, that I got to see Ossie play. Although he didn’t get on the scoresheet in a 3-0 win, Osgood was hugely impressive: strong, commanding in the air but light on his feet, he was very much the focal point of the Blues’ attack, playing clever little one-twos around the edge of the box with the likes of Tommy Baldwin and Alan Hudson, and generally suggesting he might score or set up a goal every time he got the ball. The crowd seemed to sense this too, so whenever Ossie was in possession a murmur of anticipation would spread through the rows of seats around us. What a contrast with the hapless Smethurst, whose often unsuccessful efforts to control the ball merely elicited groans and sighs

A couple of months later I saw my first Osgood goal – two, in fact, in a 4-0 stuffing of Everton, league champions just a couple of years earlier. The whole team was brilliant that afternoon, Hudson, Cooke and John Hollins running the show in midfield, with Ossie finishing off their slick approach work in clinical style.

He was in a rich vein of form in that 1971/72 season, scoring 31 goals – the same number he managed in our FA Cup-winning campaign in 1970. Amazingly, though, he wasn’t even in the England squad, let alone the team. It didn’t make sense.

Some of the goals Ossie scored for Chelsea were not just international class, they were world class. One I saw at the Bridge against Derby, then reigning league champions, stands out. With just a few minutes left we were trailing 1-0 when Osgood received the ball on the edge of the area with his back to goal. Up against the England defensive duo of Roy McFarland and Colin Todd he hadn’t had the best of days up to that point, and there had been a few grumbles from the crowd about his apparent lack of effort. The whingers and whiners were soon singing a different tune, though, as Ossie sent his marker running off towards the corner flag with a couple of outrageous feints before sharply spinning round to send a low left-shot into the far corner. It was a superb goal, and one that made the shortlist for the ‘Goal of the Season’ on ITV’s The Big Match. In the same season he won Match of the Day’s rather more prestigious award with a stunning left-foot volley against Arsenal in the FA Cup – a strike that is quite often replayed on the big screen at the Bridge before home games.

Goals like these led to a media campaign for Osgood to be recalled to the England team and Sir Alf Ramsey finally saw the light in late 1973, picking the Chelsea striker for the friendly against Italy at Wembley. A neighbour had some spare tickets for the match and invited me and my father along, but it wasn’t a particularly memorable game. England played poorly and Ossie, although producing some stylish touches, didn’t get much of a look in against the massed Italian defence. He never played for his country again and, much worse, soon afterwards left Chelsea for Southampton after falling out with Blues boss Dave Sexton.

Of course, he did return to the Bridge halfway through the miserable 1978/79 season. By then, however, he was some way past his best and it showed, although his technique and ball control were still as faultless as ever. It didn’t help, either, that he was playing in a weak and demoralised team heading inevitably for relegation.

Many years later, I got to meet Peter when I interviewed him for my book, Kings of the King’s Road. It’s often said that you shouldn’t meet your childhood heroes as they invariably fail to match your, perhaps unrealistic, expectations. Well, that certainly wasn’t the case with Ossie. Not only was he an excellent interviewee, answering all my questions honestly and entertainingly, but he was also very generous and considerate, collecting me in his car from the train station and driving me to his golf club where he insisted on paying for our drinks while we chatted about his Chelsea career.

A wonderful performer on the pitch and a great bloke off it, Ossie really was ‘The King of Stamford Bridge’.

Clive Batty’s latest book is The Pocket Book of Chelsea (see http://www.visionsp.co.uk/)

I don’t hold many memories from my childhood, but the mention of Ossie’s name sets the windmills of my mind in motion as with lachrymose fondness I recall a bygone era. The bell ringing at the end of another school day signalled freedom for my classmates and me. We’d waste no more of our precious time on reading, writing and arithmetic, heading down instead to the grassy wreck by the community centre, throwing our jumpers down for goalposts, each of us ready, willing and able to emulate our heroes.

There was only one person I wanted to be, Peter Osgood. Several enjoyable hours would pass before the gathering gloom of dusk and our overprotective mothers shrieking out our names put an end to proceedings. With grazed shins, grubby hands and a grimy, shiny, happy face I’d make my way home for tea.

Beans on toast, a glass of milk and a plea to my mother that Santa might bring me a royal blue shirt with a white number 9 stitched on the back. Santa didn’t let me down. The shirt was all I needed. Now I really was Peter Osgood. I even perfected his distinct goal celebration, that straddling jump accompanied by a low-slung single punch in the air. Happy days!

As a Chelsea player, Ossie was quite simply the man. He made 380 appearances for the Blues- scoring 150 goals, as well as collecting winners medals in the 1970 FA Cup and 1971 European Cup Winners’ Cup finals. Peter Osgood signed amateur forms for Chelsea in 1964 at the age of 17 before agreeing to a professional contract. He scored twice on his debut against Workington in a fifth-round League Cup tie replay.

Injury deprived Ossie of the opportunity to play in Chelsea’s run to the 1967 FA Cup Final, but he made up for this disappointment three seasons later by scoring in every round of the 1970 competition, including that fabulous diving header in the replay of the final that the Blues won 2-1 at the expense of once mighty Leeds United.

The best goal Peter Osgood ever scored for Chelsea? Take your pick. For me, that sublime volley from just outside the box against Arsenal in an FA Cup quarterfinal tie, which found the back of the net in front of the adoring Shed faithful and earned him BBC’s ‘goal of the season’ for 1972-73 was Ossie at his flamboyant best.

Despite his goal-scoring prowess at club level, Ossie was regularly overlooked when it came to representing England on the international stage; rumour has it that Alf Ramsey disapproved of his playboy lifestyle. More fool Alf, we all knew that Osgood was good.

After a series of disagreements with Chelsea manager Dave Sexton, Ossie, then aged 27, was placed on the transfer list and subsequently sold to Southampton in March 1974 for what was then a club record £275,000. I was gutted. To make matters worse, Chelsea then entered a period of decline that almost resulted in the club going to the wall.

Meanwhile, having won the FA Cup again, this time with the Saints, Ossie had then decided to try his luck in North America with Philadelphia Fury. It wasn’t for him, and when the prodigal son returned to Stamford Bridge during the 1978-79 season to fight the good fight for the Blues, Chelsea were almost a lost cause.

Again, he scored on his debut, but times had changed, the match against Middlesboro ended in a 7-2 defeat. Despite the odd flash of brilliance, it was evident that Ossie’s best days were behind him. Chelsea were relegated, and he played just one game in the Second Division for the Blues before deciding to hang his boots up for good in December 1979.

In retirement he was a man’s man. Always modest in the company of old-school fans, Ossie was fully aware of his mesmerizing legacy without ever once being boastful. He knew the score, but was still often humbled by the reverential respect he commanded, particularly on the occasions he attended our social club to talk about his life and love of the Blues. For every story he told, he’d get one back like mine from someone just like me. Never once did he tire of it.

Wrapped in a vast stillness and silence, Stamford Bridge, swathed in an eerie ethereal glow of security lights, was a strange place to be the night that Ossie passed away. A biting cold wind had pinched and slapped my face as I’d stood alone and paid my own tribute to the man at the impromptu memorial sprawling along the white wall by the main entrance to the ground. For a fleeting moment the ghostly negatives of Docherty’s Diamonds passed into view … those practice games we’d read about that took place at the back of the old Shed, faces from another era, the kings of the King’s Road.

Several months later, on a windswept rainy day, my girlfriend JoJo accompanied me to the Bridge to participate in a memorial service organised by Chelsea for Peter Osgood. The inclement weather had showed no signs of abating as JoJo and I had filed through the Shed End turnstile. If anything the rain had intensified, and as the Coldstream Guards trumpeted the commencement of the service accompanied by a deafening roll of thunder, I wondered if the great man himself might be looking down on proceedings from the watery heavens, that familiar wry smile forming on his face as Neil ‘representing Chelsea Football Club’ Barnett led the eulogies with his own moving homage to the King.

Tribute speeches by Chopper Harris, the Cat Bonneti and a sprightly looking Tommy Docherty, who refused the shelter afforded by Barnett’s umbrella, were warmly applauded, as were those made by a representative from Spital Old Boys (the team Ossie  had played for as a youth), and his immediate family.

The lip-biting, which had valiantly stemmed the flow of tears welling up in my eyes during the first half of the service, failed me as Mathew Harding Stand season ticket holder, the Reverend Martin Swan, commenced the fitting committal of Peter Osgood’s ashes to their final resting place beneath the Shed End penalty spot.

As the band struck up the opening bars to that most moving of hymns, Abide With Me, grown men wept openly and unashamedly, united in grief, struggling to maintain their composure. JoJo gripped my hand, her own eyes watering, swept along on a tide of emotive devotion; she’d met the King once, he’d kissed her on the cheek and praised her beauty calling me a ‘lucky fella’. Yeah, that was the Ossie.

‘Almighty God in your love you turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life.’ Miraculously, during the prayer that followed, the rain relented and the leaden sky cleared, leaving Stamford Bridge momentarily bathed in brilliant sunshine whilst Ossie’s ashes were interred beneath the Shed End penalty spot. Chopper Harris and current Chelsea and England captain, John Terry, then unveiled a pitch-side plaque as the giant video screens played back footage of the great man in action.

‘Out from the Shed came a rising young star, scoring goals past Pat Jennings from near and from far, and Chelsea won as we knew that they would … and the star of that great team was Peter Osgood. Osgood, Osgood, Osgood, Osgood … Born is the king of Stamford Bridge.’

As I sang, my spine tingled. I smiled trying to remember which I’d heard first, the Christmas Carol, the First Noel, or it’s reincarnation as a Shed terrace classic dedicated to Ossie. It was closure of sorts … another link to my distant childhood broken. I looked at JoJo and then up at the sky, which had darkened malevolently once more, readying itself to unleash another raging torrent.   ‘Blue is the colour, football is the game, we’re altogether and winning is our aim. So cheer us on through the sun and rain, cos Chelsea, Chelsea is our name.’

In a way it was fitting that the service ended with a rendition of the enduring anthem Blue is the Colour. Gone and never to be forgotten, Peter Osgood will always be the King of Stamford Bridge, but come what may, Chelsea are the lifeblood that courses through every true Blue’s veins … always and forever.

‘Come to the Shed and we’ll welcome you, wear your blue and see us through … sing loud and clear till the game is done, sing Chelsea everyone. Oh! Blue is the colour, football is the game, we’re altogether and winning is our aim … so cheer us on through the sun and rain, cos Chelsea … Chelsea is our name.’

The Blues kick started the campaign with a 0-2 win in the 3rd round at Sunderland, after a hotly contested game saw second half goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and midfielder George Saville put the home side out of the competition. However youth team manager Dermot Drummy believes Arsenal will offer a very different challenge to his side, whilst revealing his delight that Josh McEachran will return to the youth side to take part in the fixture.

“Sunderland was a very tactical game in the first half. It was a strange game, it wasn’t flowing, we know that, but we did feel we would have a chance with set plays” he told the clubs official website.

‘Josh McEachran will play, we’re very pleased with that. We feel it’s a very big fixture, there will be a big crowd there at Stamford Bridge and it’s a top Academy game so he’ll be playing.’

‘Arsenal will be an edgy game to start with because the boys are playing at Stamford Bridge in front of a big crowd. It will settle down into a free-flowing game though, I don’t expect it to be a negative game.’

McEachran’s development from the academy to the senior squad has ben nothing short of meteoric. The midfielder has featured for the Blues at first team level in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this term but will step back into the Under 18′s set up that bought himself and Chelsea a first Youth Cup title in 49 years last season.

A large crowd is expected at Stamford Bridge on Thursday to support the players and Drummy hopes that the incredible Chelsea fans support can be a motivating factor in this tough fixture and drive the team on to victory.

‘The fans support the youth team like they support the first team; it’s fantastic that the emotions are there.

‘I hope they get behind us on the night, we will be doing our upmost to beat Arsenal and they could be our 12th man.’

The impressive Todd Kane will be looking to build on his tally of 6 goals for the Academy this season and with competition for places in the first team hotting up, this fixture will be a chance for some of Chelsea’s young players to show manager Carlo Ancelotti what they can do. With Philipp Prosenik, Rohan Ince, Mesca, James Ashton, Reece Loudon and Amin Affane all missing through injury Drummy is short of options although promising 18 year old goalkeeper Matt Tomlinson and midfielder Anton Rodgers will be included in the squad. With the added boost of having McEachran available there is no doubt his presence will strengthen the Blues chances of progression.

Possible Chelsea Line Up
Chelsea (4-3-3): Jamal Blackman; Billy Clifford, Daniel Pappoe (c), Archange Nkumu, Aziz Deen-Conteh; Nathaniel Chalobah , Josh McEachran, George Saville; Todd Kane, Milan Lalkovic, Bobby Devyne.

Tickets for the FA Youth Cup are still available online and through the box office, Kingston Store and call centre, priced at £3 for adults and £1 for concessions. Tickets must be purchased before 4pm on the day of the game.

Cfcnet will be bringing you live coverage direct from Stamford Bridge during the game, follow us on our twitter @officialcfcnet and online on our forums.

This is particularly evident in the attack of the team. After finishing with a record number of Premier League goals last campaign, the Chelsea attack are at it again this season having scored 34 goals in thirteen games so far this season. Living up to these high-standards must be a daunting prospect for the younger attacking-options.

Kakuta and Sturridge have both had chances so far this season and have done reasonably well – especially in the Champions League where Sturridge has a goal and Kakuta has made an assist. The pressure on these two, though, has been cranked up a notch with the displays of, the reserve team captain, Fabio Borini. After scoring all 5 of Chelsea’s goals in a 5-4 win against West Bromwich Albion last week, Borini has now scored seven goals in three reserve appearances this season.

The Italian under-21, who joined Chelsea, after six years at Bologna, in the summer of 2007, is knocking on the first team door again following his recovery from a hernia operation. He impressed during his eight appearances (one start) last season, although he was not nearly as good as he has the ability to be. There is reason to suggest that his first chances may have come a little prematurely; he was only 18 and had only played one full season for the reserves since arriving from Italy.

Borini is still only 19 so shouldn’t feel rushed into a place in the first team squad, or even the bench, just yet. The best thing for Borini may just be to adapt to English football in the reserves and let his first team chances come slowly.

If he achieves his potential at Chelsea then the supporters are sure to experience a flurry of goals from the current number 45. Ignoring last season, where he was unable to score in eight first-team games, his scoring record has been prolific. In his first season he netted eleven times in ten games for the youth team before making eight appearances for the reserves and scoring another four goals. The next season he scored another five goals for the reserves – making him the joint-top goal scorer.

So, he’s got a fantastic scoring-record in the lower Chelsea teams and is absolutely deadly in the penalty-box. Though, as we know, when looking at the likes of Franco di Santo and Ben Sahar, this does not always equate to success at a big club like Chelsea.

Borini’s chances, though, are surely enhanced by, the current manager, Carlo Ancelotti – the manager who has brought the best out of young stars like Alexandre Pato. Ancelotti obviously rates Chelsea’s youthful attacking options, including the ‘very, very, very interesting’ Borini; Carlo has, since arriving, resisted buying any more-experienced attackers – despite the fact that Chelsea were facing a transfer ban and have faced a month without Drogba and Kalou (for the Africa Cup of Nations).

It may seem as though Borini has fallen down the pecking order, but it must be remembered that during his spree of matches Sturridge was not fully fit and Kakuta was banned and then injured. Since then Borini has been recovering from a hernia operation and his chances have been hindered. Now, though, seems an appropriate time, given the fact that he is in such good form for the reserves, for Borini, with a little more age, wisdom and experience, to start trying to make an impact in the first-team again.

For our younger readers, Ken Monkou was a core team member of Chelsea’s infamous 1989/90 team that stormed into 5^th place in the league following promotion from the then second division.  What a season that was and what a team of legends – Micky Hazard, Kevin (the tache) Wilson, David ‘Rodders’ Lee, Kerry ‘I’ll have a lager thanks’ Dixon, Steve Clarke, Dave ‘Lurch’ Beasant and Graham ‘I’m a spud at heart’ Roberts.  A classic period, the best support and great memories.  Incidentally, at the end of the 1989/1990 season, Ken Monkou won the Chelsea fans Player of the Year.

Ken currently has a number of projects on the go and also works for Chelsea FC both in corporate hospitality and also for Chelsea TV.  Our thanks go to Ken for taking the time to talk to us and we apologise that our Costa Coffee studio was so hopelessly inadequate. We’re talking about the coffee. Viewers will need to turn the sound up to the max.

If you have never seen these players on the pitch before, I hope to provide a fairly in depth description of the type of player that Uzbekistan are up against.

First of all we have Jack Cork, who, if I’m honest, is looking very promising indeed. Following loans to Coventry and Watford, Cork has had the opportunity of some Premier League action this season with an 11 appearance loan spell at Burnley which ended with a goal against Spurs on the final day of the season. On his Premier League debut against Aston Villa, he showed just why he was a Chelsea player with a good performance, grabbing an assist and being part of the build up to another goal. However the final result wasn’t so great with Burnley being on the wrong end of a 5-2 hammering. So what are Cork’s best qualities? Well, he is keen on the short passing technique and has a good first touch. He is also great in the tackle and winning the ball back.

His intelligence shows with his ability to retain the ball. I feel he is more effective as a midfielder rather than his alternate positions in defence. Cork is a player that would fit in at Arsenal well with his short passing and hopefully fitting in at Chelsea won’t be too challenging for the young Londoner.

Second up we have Ryan Bertrand, another local London boy. Bertrand is a player packed with bundles of pace. A player that is keen on getting forward with an attacking mind set. Formerly a left winger, he has been altered to a more defensive role at left back and in doing so, has been hailed and tipped as the next Ashley Cole. So far, Bertrand has only scored the one goal at senior level and that was with Reading on loan last season. However, we cannot look forward to seeing Ryan in a Chelsea shirt this year, as he has already been snapped up on loan with Nottingham Forest until the beginning of 2011. His performance against Uzbekistan could prove vital to his chances at Chelsea next year and he will be looking to heavily impress for his loan club too. Watch out for him for England!

Michael Mancienne next, perhaps one of our more well known youth team talents after his loan spells at Wolves gave him a name for himself. Mancienne’s determination showed greatly when Wolves faced Arsenal this season, and he put in an excellent performance which got some eyebrows raised. His accurate crunching tackles left some Arsenal players stranded at certain points throughout the game and he also made a pitch length track back to stop Arsenal from scoring at the end of the game. I am sure that this season will settle Mancienne’s future as he will be desperate to get some first team football and rightly so he deserves it. I believe that if he doesn’t get his wish, another club would be more than willing to splash out a fair bit for the 22 year old. But his versatility could be the key that Chelsea need this season after releasing Belletti. Mancienne has the ability to play in numerous positions from right back through the defence and into the midfield. For Mancienne’s sake I hope he gets some first team football this season. So, does he play like
anyone else in the world of football? Well, I would regard his defensive midfielder role, similar to that of Rosenberg’s Anthony Annan from Ghana.

Last but by no means least, Daniel Sturridge. Not from London but Birmingham, Sturridge arrived from Manchester City on a deal under the £10m range but as of yet has not found consistency in his Chelsea diet. One positive we can take from Sturridge’s season is that he found the net 4 times in his 4 appearances in the FA cup. With pace and skill along with a hard shot on goal at his disposal, we are sure to see a lot more from the England star this season. What has to be admired about the young forward is the composure he shows in front of goal. He is always keen to wait for the right time to shoot and doesn’t rush when faced with an opportunity. Equipped with pace, skill, composure and spirit, Daniel Sturridge has been the most seen at Chelsea out of the 4 Blue stars this season that have been called up for playing against Uzbekistan and with close similarities to Nicolas Anelka, it is no surprise why. He also netted a long range effort against Ajax in one of our pre-season friendlies. Alongside Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck in the under 21s setup we have a highly
talented strike force that could develop into the future of English football.

Keep your eyes open for these four Chelsea talents on the 10th!

Michael Essien is from Ghana. He is an all-round midfielder who can play multiple midfield roles (defensively and offensively). He has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play.

At Chelsea, his versatility as a player has been put to effective use in various roles. He has often been deployed as a defensive midfielder, but has also played as a centre midfielder, a right-sided lateral defender or a right-sided midfielder, even as a right back, and a centre back.

For the Ghana national football team, Essien has played primarily in a central midfield role, with combined opportunities to go forward or support defensive play. He also has a good eye for goal and has on occasion scored important, sometimes breath-taking goals for both club and country. One of his trademark abilities is to hit a shot from distance. Between the summer of 2007 and the summer of 2009, Essien was the most expensive African footballer on account of his £26 million move from French club Olympique Lyonnais to Chelsea FC. Essien is often referred to as “the Bison” for his tough tackling style, boundless energy and physical presence on the pitch.

Photos supplied by EMPICs and Getty Images / Darren Walsh Chelsea FC

Terry was voted best defender in the UEFA Champions League in both 2005 and 2008, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2005,[3] and was included in the FIFPro World XI for four consecutive seasons, from 2005 to 2008. He was also named in the all-star squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the only English player to make the team. He wears the number 26 shirt for Chelsea.

In 2007, he became the first captain to lift the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium in Chelsea’s 1–0 win over Manchester United, and also the first player to score a full international goal there, scoring a header in England’s 1–1 draw with Brazil. However, the 2007–08 season saw Terry and Chelsea miss out on three trophies, losing the League Cup Final to Tottenham Hotspur and Premier League and UEFA Champions League to Manchester United with Terry having slipped resulting in missing a penalty in the Champions League final shootout, sending it to sudden death. Had he scored, the European Cup would have been secured for Chelsea. After the final in Moscow, teammate Frank Lampard described Terry as “a man’s man”.

Photos supplied by EMPICs and Getty Images / Darren Walsh Chelsea FC

Lampard began his career at West Ham United, his father’s former club. He had secured a place in the first team by the 1997–98 season, and the following year helped the team finish 5th in the Premier League, their highest ever Premier League placing. In 2001, he moved to rival London club Chelsea for £11 million.

From his debut onwards he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team, setting a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the West London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest paid Premier League footballer at that time, and scored in his first Champions League Final that same year. He won the FA Cup for the second time in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. On 23 December 2009, he was named the Premier League’s Player of the decade by official statistics. In the 2009-10 season Lampard won the Premier League title and FA Cup (domestic cup double) also he had his best prolific season with Chelsea scoring 22 league goals and 17 league assists.

Lampard has won the Chelsea Player of the Year award three times and is Chelsea’s 3rd all-time goalscorer with 157 goals in all competitions, including over 100 league goals, the most in the club’s history for a midfielder. Lampard is the highest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history with 129 league goals and he’s 2nd in the Premier League’s all-time assists table with 156 assists [12]. Also Lampard completes over 1400 successful passes and has 10 or more assists every season.[13]. In 2005, Lampard was voted second place in both the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2005 Ballon d’Or.

Internationally, Lampard has been capped 82 times by England since making his debut in October 1999, and has scored 20 goals. He was voted England player of the year for two consecutive years in 2004 and 2005. He played in Euro 2004, where he was named in the team of the tournament after scoring three goals in four games. He was top scorer for England in their successful 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with five goals, and played in the 2006 World Cup. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers he scored four goals, helping England qualify for the tournament proper in South Africa.

Photos supplied by EMPICs and Getty Images / Darren Walsh Chelsea FC