Fulham face Chelsea in the west London derby this evening, the two team’s stadiums situated just 2.2 km apart in the capital.

The two clubs have spent much of their history in different divisions but each are now pushing for improvement in the Premier League. Throughout the years there have been a number of names to adorn the colours of both clubs and we’ve picked out five of the best from the Premier League era.

Five players who played for both Fulham and Chelsea:

Damien Duff

Damien Duff became one of the first signings of Chelsea’s billionaire backed regime, after the winger signed from Blackburn Rovers in the summer that saw Roman Abramovich take over the west London side.

Duff had emerged as one of the best young widemen in the Premier League at Ewood Park and completed a £17m move to Chelsea after the Blues activated his release clause.

The Republic of Ireland international formed one half of a formidable wing partnership with Arjen Robben at Chelsea, as the duo combined brilliantly as Chelsea won back-to-back Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho in 2004/05 and 2005/06.

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Duff departed Chelsea after the second of those title wins and spent four seasons at Newcastle, before returning to the capital to join Fulham in 2009. His first season saw Fulham reach the Europa League final under Roy Hodgson, the highlight of five seasons at Craven Cottage that saw the winger make 173 appearances in all competitions.

Scott Parker

Scott Parker signed for Chelsea in a £10m deal after impressing at London rivals Charlton Athletic, but the midfielder was unable to earn a regular role in the side during his 18 months at the club.

He spent time at Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham after leaving Stamford Bridge, winning the FWA Footballer of the Year award despite West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League in 2010/11.

Parker ended his career with a four season spell at Fulham, for who he played 128 games and was named captain. The England international retired following Fulham’s relegation in 2016/17, but later returned to the club in a coaching role.

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Parker led Fulham to promotion to the Premier League in 2019/20, but departed by mutual consent after the side suffered an instant return to the second tier.

Andre Schurrle

Chelsea agreed an £18m deal to sign Andre Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013 and the forward impressed during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Schurrle scored nine goals in all competitions, including a Premier League hat-trick against Fulham, and ended the campaign as part of Germany’s victorious squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

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Schurrle’s second season saw the forward win the League Cup and Premier League, but he departed mid-season to join Wolfsburg in the January transfer window. He later returned to England to sign on loan for Fulham in 2018/19, but was unable to prevent relegation despite a return of six goals in 24 league games for the Cottagers.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was billed as a star of the future after progressing from the Chelsea academy, having impressed for club and country at youth level.

Loftus-Cheek made his debut for Chelsea as a teenager and went on to make 155 appearances for the club in all competitions, while he featured for England as the Three Lions reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

Fitness problems prevented Loftus-Cheek from fulfilling his potential at Chelsea however, and he spent time on loan at Fulham in 2020/21 as he sought to regain fitness and rhythm. He made 32 appearances and scored once, but Fulham ended the season in the Premier League’s relegation places.

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Loftus-Cheek departed Chelsea on a permanent basis in 2023, signing for AC Milan in a deal worth £15m after almost two decades at Stamford Bridge.

Willian

Willian became a fan favourite during seven successful seasons at Chelsea, who had hijacked Tottenham’s move to sign the winger from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Willian won a wealth of honours at Chelsea including two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, League Cup and the Europa League, while he was twice named as Chelsea’s Players’ Player of the Season.

The Brazil international scored 63 goals in 339 games for Chelsea, but moved on when his contract expired in 2020 to sign for Arsenal on a free transfer. Disappointing short spells at Arsenal and Corinthians followed, before Willian enjoyed a renaissance at Fulham.

The toppest of top bins. #FULNFO pic.twitter.com/77ntxsZmra

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 11, 2023

The veteran winger scored five goals and provided five assists as Fulham secured a top-half finish in the Premier League under Marco Silva in 2022/23.

Read – Iconic Duos: Chelsea’s impregnable pairing made of steel and silk, Terry and Carvalho

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The post Five who played for both – Fulham and Chelsea first appeared on The Football Faithful.