What a player': Peter Crouch says Chelsea legend belongs in the chat for the Premier League's greatest ever
When you look across more than three decades of Premier League football, there’s several outstanding Chelsea players that have etched their names in the competition’s history.
There’s so many Chelsea legends that have graced the pitch at Stamford Bridge in recent decades. As a result, Chelsea’s trophy history is extremely impressive.
It would be great to see some names from the current squad one day mentioned alongside the existing Blues icons. If Cole Palmer can continue on his current trajectory, he may be on his way.
Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola thinks Palmer can one day compete to win the Ballon d’Or after finishing 25th in this year’s annual event.
- READ MORE: Gianfranco Zola admits why he’s been left really shocked by Cole Palmer since he joined Chelsea
Peter Crouch insists underrated Gianfranco Zola is a Premier League great
Peter Crouch has claimed that former Chelsea attacker Gianfranco Zola deserves to be remembered as one of the best players to play in the Premier League.
In fact, he’s suggested that the magical footballer is underrated because he doesn’t get enough praise and he’s in the conversation for the division’s greatest ever.
Crouch said on his podcast: “I watched Zola week in week out for a while. When we talk about the Premier League’s greatest ever, I don’t think he gets enough shouts. I think he is in the conversation with [Dennis] Bergkamp, [Thierry] Henry, [Alan] Shearer, [Wayne] Rooney…
“I felt like he changed Chelsea… Zola for me was an absolute game changer, what a player.”
While Zola’s name is one that will make Chelsea supporters of a certain age feel joy, perhaps he’s not quite as universally appreciated as the likes of Frank Lampard or John Terry.
The Italian attacker, who played for the Blues between 1996-2003, helped shape the club everybody knows today with his influence on the pitch.
Zola ranks high in Chelsea’s greatest ever strikers list, and while he may not have the goalscoring statistics of some modern players, he passed the eye test with flying colours because of his style on a football pitch.
Gianfranco Zola impact at Chelsea
Like Chelsea icon Eden Hazard, Zola did special things with the ball at his feet that very few players could emulate.
The diminutive forward tormented Premier League defences for seven years with his low centre of gravity, dribbling and football IQ.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Trophies |
| 312 | 80 | 40 | 6 |
Graeme Souness claims Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has eclipsed Zola, but it’s great to hear Crouch put some respect on the Chelsea hero.
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