Chelsea, one of the most successful English clubs in the 21st century, are known for buying expensive and talented players. Their domestic and European success has been built on their recruitment strategy, not just for the first team but also their academy.
The Blues have produced an array of top talents, thanks in no small measure to a revered scouting department that identifies potential talent at a very young age.
Chelsea's youth academy at Cobham has nurtured many talented players in the recent past like current first-teamers Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount.
The club also produced legends well before Cobham was built, such as Ron Harris, Peter Bonetti, Jimmy Greaves, John Terry and more.
Below, GOAL runs through the finest players produced by one of the game's great talent factories…
Getty ImagesRon Harris
Ron Harris is one of Chelsea's greatest ever players. In a long stint with the Blues, he amassed around 795 appearances – a club record.
The man known as 'Chopper' for his tough-tackling style of defending was a Chelsea academy graduate who sent on to serve the club with distinction. He even won the FA Youth Cup for Chelsea in 1961.
Harris, once promoted to the senior side, became the face of the club in 60s and 70s. He led Chelsea to the 1970 FA Cup and 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup trophies. The latter was Chelsea's first-ever major European title.
AdvertisementGettyPeter Bonetti
Peter Bonetti is another Chelsea legend who came up through the youth-team ranks before going on to make more than 700 appearances for the club.
Bonetti was an accomplished goalkeeper, known as 'The Cat' for his stunning reflexes and graceful style. He was a loyal servant for Chelsea through some tough years and helped the club win the 1970 FA Cup and the 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup.
Bonetti made only seven appearances for his country, but that was only because of the great Gordon Banks, who kept him out of the England first XI for years.
Getty ImagesJimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves needs no introduction. He might be known for his exploits with Tottenham Hotspur and England, but Greaves was a Chelsea youth product.
One of the most prolific goalscorers of his time, Greaves was scouted and inducted into the Chelsea youth set-up in 1955. He turned professional in 1957 and never looked back. Greaves spent only four years at Chelsea but scored more than 130 goals.
He would go on to join AC Milan before returning to Tottenham Hotspur, where he earn immortal status as their all-time highest goalscorer with 266 strikes to his name. Greaves also scored 44 goals for England, helping the country win the 1966 World Cup.
Getty ImagesBobby Tambling
Bobby Tambling was Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorer (202 goals in all competitions) until the great Frank Lampard broke that record. Tambling, though, remains Chelsea's top marksman in the league (164).
The Sussex-born striker joined Chelsea as a 15-year-old and made his first-team debut two years later, in 1959. Soon, he would go on to establish himself as the club's main striker after Greaves left Chelsea.
He remained at Chelsea for around 11 years before moving to Crystal Palace. A suite at Stamford Bridge is now named after Tambling.