Chelsea’s longest serving player leaves: The incredible story of Matej Delac
The longest serving player at Chelsea, Matej Delac, will leave the club without playing a single competitive match for the Blues.
The 25-year-old Croatian has spent eight years amongst the ranks at Chelsea, however hasn’t once been at Stamford Bridge to make an appearance for the side.
That is down to work permit issues and Chelsea finding more quality in other goalkeepers.
Instead he has been shipped out on loan season upon season, but still holds the record as being the Blues’ longest mainstay since his move from Inter Zapresic in 2010.
His astounding, globetrotting story has flown under the radar, and it is only now that people are beginning to recognise his name.
It is unlikely he will earn any awards for his services to Chelsea, although it is impressive he remained their player up until now.
Danish club AC Horsens have secured him from next term onwards, meaning it is up to someone else to try and match his wonderfully bizarre stint.
European jetsetter
Delac, in his seven years as a Chelsea man, has visited a vast number of European countries.
His footballing career encompasses the majority of the continent, and is somewhat parallel to the globetrotting expected of a teenager on a gap year, rather than a footballer.
After joining the west London club in 2010 for a fee north of £2 million, he was immediately sent out on loan to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem (Chelsea are known to feed them with players).
That began an extraordinary chain of loaning and returning, and a cycle which Delac would have gotten very used to. Not once did the Blues keep him in England for a term, let alone at Stamford Bridge.
Czech Republic, Bosnia, a return to homeland Croatia, France, Serbia and Belgium are the places Delac have spent his years. It is almost unbelievable to think he is only 25 years old.
In total, the Croatian has already been to ten clubs (including Chelsea), and the only side that kept him for longer than a season is Bosnian outfits FK Sarajevo. He joined for the first time in 2014, and returned for the 14/15 and 15/16 campaigns.
Last season Delac didn’t make one appearance for Belgian team Royal Mouscron, and he has played most in Croatia – 52 times for Zapresic.
Over his fluctuating, sporadic career he has played just 151 times and as already mentioned, none at parent club Chelsea.
What next for Delac?
His move to Danish side AC Horsens was completed at the beginning of July, and it could represent his first opportunity for consistent game time since his early days at Inter Zapresic.
Horsens finished in a respectable 6th place in the Danish Superliga last term, and hope to maintain top flight status.
Delac’s moment of fame will swiftly end once his fresh adventure in Denmark begins, but for now he is etched in the record books as Chelsea’s longest serving player.
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Does this speak volumes for Chelsea’s lack of player treatment?