Top 10 players to play for both Chelsea & Manchester City

Both clubs are a part of the top six of the Premier League.

To play in the Premier League is every footballer’s dream. It is the toughest and most famous football league in the whole world. Premier League gives a player the toughest competition to help him grow and also the fame from around the world. If this isn’t enough, try the combination of playing in the Premier League and that too in the big Six, i.e., Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham.

These clubs are one of the most elite in Europe and have a rich Heritage in trophy terms (well, except Tottenham, for obvious reasons). Among these six, Chelsea and Manchester City have dominated the scene for quite some time. Chelsea managed to win two Champions League in a span of 10 years. Manchester City have managed to dominate the domestic ground, the Premier League, under Guardiola’s Leadership. They both have fantastic players and are excellent as a team. There are also some players who have played for both of these big clubs.

Tal Ben Haim

The Israeli international has represented both big blues of the Premier League during his career. The defender played for Chelsea and Manchester City for a year each. 2007-8 was with Chelsea and 2008 to 2009 was with Manchester City. The 40 years old played for many clubs in his career, including for Tel Aviv, QPR and West Ham.

Terry Phelan

The Irish Left-back played for both these clubs in the 90s. Terry Phelan played for Manchester City from 1992 to 1995 and then moved to Chelsea for a period of two years from 1995 to 1997. He appeared in more than 100 games for the Citizens. But unlike in Manchester, Phelan appeared for only 15 games during his Chelsea stint. He joined Indian Football after retirement and, in 2015 coached Kerala Blasters.

Wayne Bridge

He is known more for his controversy than for his football. Bridge represented the Blues from 2003 to 2009 and was part of the famous Jose Mourinho-led Chelsea side, which won the Premier League of 2004-5 with a massive 95 points tally. He, however, came into conflicts with his best friend at the club John when he got to know about Terry’s affair with his ex-girlfriend. The English left-back then moved to Manchester City for the 2009-11 season but was not seen in his previous form.

George Weah

The current Liberian President played for a little time for both these clubs. He joined Chelsea as a loanee from Milan for the 1999-2000 season. He then joined the Manchester side after the loan ended in 2000. He played fewer games for these clubs.

Nicolas Anelka

The forward played for many clubs during his career amongst them were Chelsea and Manchester City. He joined Manchester City in 2002 and scored 46 goals for them during his two and a half years time with them. He joined Chelsea in 2008 and showed his talents. The former Arsenal and Real Madrid player won the Premier League Golden Boot 2008-09 with Chelsea. He also won a Premier League title and two FA Cups titles with Chelsea.

Shaun Wright-Phillips

The English winger played in UK and US during his career. He is the son of Arsenal star Ian Wright. He joined the Cityzens in 1999 and played till 2005. He won the Manchester City young player of the year award for four consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2003 and the club’s players of the year title in 2004. His pace and agility made Chelsea bring him in, but it didn’t turn out to be as fruitful as everyone at Stamford bridge thought, but he did manage to win the Premier League in the 2005-06 season. He then again moved to City in 2008 till 2011 after finally moving to QPR.

Daniel Sturridge

He was the product of the Manchester City youth academy. Daniel Sturridge had a career of ups and down. He was part of the Manchester City squad from 2006 to 2009 before moving to the London Side Chelsea. During his Chelsea days, although he wasn’t a regular starter, but he won all the major titles, including a Champions League title, a Premier League title and two FA Cups title. He also played for Liverpool, where he showed his true talents as a striker.

Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling was one of the most high-profile signings of Chelsea this season. He started his career in Liverpool, went to his heights with Manchester United and came as an established player at Chelsea. Sterling joined Cityzens from Liverpool in 2015, and till his departure in 2022, he was a constant part of the team. He appeared in more than 200 games for the city scoring close to 90 goals. He also won four Premier League titles with them under the coach Pep Guardiola. His run during his Manchester City days became the reason for Chelsea to call him in. It's still early to comment on Sterling’s Chelsea but keeping his past performances in mind, he will surely shine at Stamford Bridge.

Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne became a superstar after Chelsea had lost hope in him. Chelsea let go of this master midfielder and now he is one of the best in the world. He was with Chelsea from 2012 to 2014 but was merely ever used. He was then sent to Wolfsburg after completing a loan move to Bremen. From Wolfsburg, he was transferred to Manchester City. In Manchester City, he became a world-class player and one of the best midfielders in the world, thanks to his coach Pep Guardiola. He is still at City and is an essential and irreplaceable part of the team.

Frank Lampard

The Chelsea legend and one of the most decorated English players, Frank Lampard, played for the Citizens during the end of his career. He was part of Chelsea from 2001 to 2014. It was impossible to think of Chelsea without Lampard and Vice versa. With Chelsea, he won three Premier League titles, four FA cups, a Champions League title and a Europa League title, among other achievements. The midfielder is the all-time top goal scorer for Chelsea to date. He joined Manchester City for the 2014-2015 season before moving to the MLS. He again returned to Stamford Bridge in 2019, this time as a manager.