Premier League cult hero seems unrecognisable after linking up with former membership

Chelsea cult hero Ramires was in attendance at the Blues’ Cobham training ground on Friday after coming out of retirement to feature in the club’s legends game against Liverpool

A Premier League cult hero looked unrecognisable from his playing days at Chelsea after he returned to his old stomping ground.

Ramires swapped his Chelsea kit for the Chinese Super League clobber nine years ago and hasn’t looked back until now.

The Brazilian midfield star was one of a host of Chelsea legends to rock up at the Surrey training ground on Friday. Ramires, now 37, got the band back together with John Obi Mikel, Claude Makelele, William Gallas, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and mastermind Roberto Di Matteo.

Di Matteo, whistle and all, seemed chuffed getting stuck in as boss, while the old guard got kitted out in Blues gear once again.

The ‘Chelsea Legends’ are gearing up to take on the ‘Liverpool Legends’ on Saturday at Anfield, all in the name of charity for the Chelsea Foundation and the Chelsea Players’ Trust.

Just after their kick-about, Ramires was over the moon to have a moment with his ex-teammates. Sharing his pics on X, he said: “Today I had the pleasure of training again at Cobham and reuniting with great friends I made while defending Chelsea.

“Tomorrow is game day for Chelsea Legends! Come on, Blues!”

Though he hung up his boots almost three years back, Ramires is still loved by the Stamford Bridge faithful. His journey kicked off at Benfica courtesy of Cruzeiro in July 2009 and a year later, he bagged himself a ticket to the Bridge, reports Football London.

Back in the summer of 2010, Ramires made a splash by signing with Chelsea for a cool £17m. The ex-midfielder racked up 251 appearances for the Blues, banging in 34 goals and dishing out 17 assists.

He didn’t just warm the bench either – he bagged himself a Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and Europa League title.

Despite being a key player, after a dodgy start to the 2015/16 season under Jose Mourinho, Ramires, who had just inked a fresh four-year deal in October, was shipped off to Jiangsu Suning in January for a tidy £25m.

After a stint in China, the Brazilian ace headed back to his roots in 2019. Ramires took to the pitch for Palmeiras, but his stint at the Allianz Parque was cut short.

The former Chelsea star didn’t immediately jump into a new squad, and he officially hung up his boots.