Who is Chelsea’s most underrated player of the Premier League era? Fans have their say

When football fans discuss Chelsea’s modern era of success, names like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry naturally come to mind. But Roman Abramovich’s trophy-laden tenure and the subsequent years at Stamford Bridge were also built on the backs of unsung heroes.

A recent TalkingPoints poll asked fans to name the most criminally underrated Chelsea player of the Premier League era. While options like Ramires, Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda led the poll, the comments section quickly turned into a treasure trove of Chelsea nostalgia! Here is who the fans say deserve far more respect:

The underappreciated full-backs

Full-back is not the most glamorous position in football, so it is very easy for players in that role to be overlooked and ignored. Jamie Carragher once joked that no one wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville! While some have, the Stamford Bridge faithful and others have not forgotten about Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta.

Ivanovic was the ultimate fantasy football asset and big-game player. As one fan pointed out, the big Serbian was “ever-present” and scored about five goals a season. Supporters remembered him as a no-fuss footballer who did his job and more, whether it was as a right-back or centre-back.

Azpilicueta did not score as many goals as Ivanovic, but he was just as versatile as his former teammate, perhaps even more so. As well as performing at a very high-level in both full-back positions, he was also a very solid centre-back in a back three. During Antonio Conte’s title-winning campaign, “Dave” was one of the best defenders in Europe, yet his name is rarely mentioned in broader conversations about the Premier League’s greatest-ever defenders and outside of Chelsea.

The midfielders who did the dirty work

A great team needs balance (which Chelsea are severely lacking now), and fans were quick to point out that Chelsea’s star-studded midfield only functioned because of players like Nemanja Matic. Matic’s partnership with N’Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas were combos that yielded titles, but like most defensive midfielders, he rarely won any individual awards.

He played further forward, but the brilliant Juan Mata — who won back-to-back Chelsea Player of the Year accolades — was another notable mention. But staying with the theme of holding midfielders, John Obi Mikel obviously had to be included.

The discussion also took us on a trip down memory lane to the mid-2000s, reminding modern fans of the blistering wing play that helped define Jose Mourinho’s first stint in England. Long before Eden Hazard or Willian, Damien Duff was terrorising full-backs. Paired with Arjen Robben on the opposite flank, Duff was part of a terrifying, unstoppable winger duo that laid the attacking blueprint for Chelsea’s early Premier League dominance.

It is a shame that Robben had so many injury problems, as on the counter, the Bayern Munich legend and Duff were practically a cheat code!

Today, who is Chelsea’s most underrated player? Pedro Neto is definitely a shout. The Portugal international takes a lot of flak from some Blues supporters, but he has been very reliable for Chelsea since joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Neto is rarely ever injured — which is a surprise given his fitness record at Wolves — very versatile and capable of producing a big goal for Chelsea. He is not as adored as Duff and is nowhere near as good as Robben, but by no means is the 26-year-old a bad winger.