Eidur GUDJOHNSEN

Joining Chelsea in the same summer that the Blues purchased the more familiar talents of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mario Stanic, Eidur Gudjohnsen's move to Stamford Bridge in July 2000 went largely unheralded by supporters and journalists alike. The fact that it cost his new club the not-inconsiderable sum of £4 million to prise him away from second-flight Bolton Wanderers might, however, have given some indication of the ability the Icelander possessed, as might the fact that a few years earlier, while still in his teens, Gudjohnsen had spent an injury-hit spell in PSV Eindhoven's first-team, lining up in attack alongside none other than Ronaldo ­ not Old Trafford's preening stepover queen, but the original and the best: the buck-toothed Brazilian. Given the talent at manager Gianluca Vialli's disposal at the time, it was no surprise that Gudjohnsen failed to figure in the starting line-up for the first competitive game of the 2000/01 season, a 2-0 Wembley triumph over Manchester United in the Charity Shield, but a 20-minute cameo in place of the iconic Gianfranco Zola gave the blond marksman the opportunity to display his skills back at a ground he had graced four months earlier, as Bolton lost an FA Cup semi-final to Aston Villa on penalties, the Midlanders going on to lose the final to Chelsea. However, had Bolton's Dean Holdsworth not skied a clear chance created by his strike partner in the latter stages of the match, Gudjohnsen might have found himself playing his last game for Wanderers against his future employers. Eidur's first league appearance for the Blues came in a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on the second weekend of the new league campaign, and his first start corresponded with his first goal for the club, an immaculate finish that would become his trademark, as Liverpool were thrashed 3-0 at the Bridge (the photo above is during the game).

As the season unravelled under new boss Claudio Ranieri, who replaced Vialli in September, Eidur became a regular in the Blues' starting line-up, supplementing his ten league goals with a further three strikes in the FA Cup. Despite further strengthening of the squad in the summer of 2001, an anticipated title challenge failed to materialise. What did quickly flourish, however, was a magnificent understanding between Gudjohnsen and strike-partner Hasselbaink that not only amassed a combined total of 52 goals throughout the campaign; it also managed to do what was thought impossible: keep Gianfranco Zola out of the starting line-up! Eidur contributed an impressive 23 strikes to that tally, including a memorable double at White Hart Lane as Chelsea ran riot in a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win, while a dextrous finish in the opening minutes of a 2-0 triumph over Leeds earned the Icelander BBC Match of the Day's goal of the month award for January 2002. Ultimately, though, the season would end in disappointment, an FA Cup Final defeat at the hands of Arsenal coming towards the end of what was an erratic campaign, one which ended with the Blues failing to progress from their final league position of sixth twelve months earlier. In truth, the Gudjohnsen/Hasselbaink axis never again reached the heights of the 2001/02 season, but both men played a significant part in their team's unexpected rise into the top four at the end of the following campaign, a triumph that brought with it a Champions League qualification that not only saved the club from a perilous financial situation, but caught the eye of a certain wealthy Russian. Eidur found the net on ten occasions throughout the league season, the pick of his goals being a magnificent, textbook overhead kick which helped the Blues to a 3-2 victory over Leeds. Eidur enjoyed finding the net against the Yorkshiremen, which gave the Chelsea supporters further reason to like him. (Kelvin Barker)

Despite a quite staggering influx of world class talent into Claudio Ranieri's squad in the summer of 2003, as Roman Abramovich waved his wad freely, Gudjohnsen remained a starter as the new season began with an air of optimism in London SW6 that had been unmatched in the club's 98-year history. However, the early-season arrivals of Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo cast considerable doubt on the Icelander's future, so 26 league appearances was an acceptable return in the circumstances. Better still, though, was the part the blond striker played in a memorable Champions League campaign that took the Blues all the way to the semi-finals, before a bizarre implosion in Monaco, fuelled by the manager's renowned tinkering. The Monaco debacle notwithstanding, it was a campaign that contained many scintillating memories, and Eidur made his mark in an incredible 4-0 humbling of Lazio in Rome, scoring one and creating another, and also in the memorable quarter-final victory over Arsenal, as the Icelander scored the Blues' goal in a first-leg draw at the Bridge, before sublimely setting up Wayne Bridge to score the winning goal on a night when many blue-shirted mere mortals became elevated to the status of legend. Buoyed by the generosity of their free-spending new owner, Chelsea finished that 2003/04 season not only in the final four of Europe's premier club competition, but also second only to Arsenal's invincible, unbeaten side in the Premier League. Such apparent successes were not enough for the Russian, though, and he replaced Claudio Ranieri in the summer with Portuguese over-achiever, Jose Mourinho.

The astute Mourinho immediately partnered Gudjohnsen with new £15 million man Didier Drogba, and the two quickly struck up a good understanding. Eidur got the new season off to a flyer with a scrappy goal that was enough to beat Manchester United, and further enhanced his reputation in the eyes of his new boss when he scored the first hat-trick of his Chelsea career as Blackburn Rovers were swept aside 4-0. And swept aside is what everybody else was too, as the Blues hit top spot at the beginning of November and stayed there until the season's end, eventually finishing fully twelve points ahead of nearest rivals Arsenal. For Eidur, there was the satisfaction of winning the title back at his old Bolton Wanderers stamping ground, where he received a generous ovation from both sets of fans when he was substituted five minutes from the end, but disaster struck just three days later, as Liverpool inflicted a second successive Champions League semi-final defeat on Mourinho's heartbroken men, one which would have been avoided had Gudjohnsen's late effort from close range not whistled just the wrong side of the post. In truth, it was a chance that a player of his talent should have tucked away with ease. Sadly, such profligacy in front of goal was repeated on occasions the following season, as Eidur struggled to locate his previous cool temperament when scoring opportunities arose, although it should also be stressed that in his final season with the club, the Icelander often played a slightly withdrawn role. It's not as if it was a poor season either; on the contrary, Chelsea's first league title win in fifty years was followed immediately by another. Eidur's input into the season was, in truth, a little more muted than had been the case previously, with just two goals coming from his 26 league appearances. His all-round play remained of a high standard, and the magic remained in his feet as it always will with players who possess magnificent, God-given technique, but it did appear at times that he was beginning to tread water in a Chelsea shirt, and was at risk of falling behind in the pecking order. Ultimately, Jose Mourinho gave Gudjohnsen the opportunity to decide for himself if he would like to take up a new challenge at the end of the season, and when Barcelona came in with an offer of £8 million, it was probably good business for all concerned. One thing is for certain: the man who moved to Stamford Bridge without a fanfare six years earlier, can look back with much pride on his endeavours and achievements in a Chelsea shirt. (Kelvin Barker)