Top Five: Premier League’s Greatest Portuguese

2) Ricardo Carvalho

When Jose Mourinho joined Chelsea in 2004, his first act was to bring in Ricardo Carvalho from his former side for a fee of £20 million. It turned out to be a masterstroke by the ‘Special One’ as Carvalho’s performances in the centre of defence justified the price that Chelsea paid for his services.

Although not a towering centre defender (Carvalho is ‘only’ 6-foot-tall), Carvalho was a tough tackling defender who possessed all the traits needed to be a top-class centre back. Despite his size he was strong in the air, tough in the tackle, had good technical abilities and read the game wonderfully. He was the perfect partner for one of the Premier League’s greatest defenders, John Terry.

With Carvalho in the side, Chelsea had one of the best defences the Premier League has ever seen. In his first season at the club, the defender played a key role as his side accumulated 95 points, in the process only losing one game and conceding only 15 goals. Carvalho would continue his form going into the following season as Chelsea retained the title, whilst conceding only 22 goals.

During his stint with the West London club, the defender had great success. In his six-year association with Chelsea, Carvalho won seven titles, including three Premier League titles. Although personal accolades did not fall his way, the defender was honoured for his achievements as he made the shortlist for the FIFA World XI on four occasions.

Prior to leaving for Real Madrid in 2010, Carvalho would appear 210 times in English football, including 135 times in the Premier League. Incredibly, across those six seasons in England’s top flight, Carvalho would only taste defeat on 14 occasions. The defender was a big part in that as his presence ensured Chelsea had the best defence in the league in four of the six seasons he spent there.