It's hard to believe Blackburn Rovers once provided Chelsea with a club-record signing | OneFootball

£17million was a big fee at the time - but it more than paid off for Chelsea, as the winger became a key figure at Stamford Bridge

With the host of star names that joined Chelsea following Roman Abramovich’s takeover, it is somewhat surprising to hear that the Blues’ marquee signing in 2003 came from Blackburn Rovers.

Abramovich spent over £110million on multiple players, including Hernán Crespo from Inter Milan and Real Madrid’s Claude Makelele, but the most expensive acquisition saw Chelsea pay Blackburn £17million for Damien Duff.

Whilst that fee would be eclipsed multiple times during the rest of Abramovich’s reign, Duff’s transfer broke Chelsea’s record fee paid – setting the tone for the Blues’ new status as serious Premier League contenders.

Damien Duff's seven-year spell at Blackburn Rovers produced feared Premier League winger

Duff caught the eye of Chelsea in the 2002/03 Premier League season, after the Irishman notched a career-high tally of nine top-flight goals in just 26 Premier League appearances.

Most notably, Duff scored six times in the final nine games of the campaign, coming back from a hamstring injury to end his time at Blackburn in style.

24-year-old Duff arrived at nouveau-riche Chelsea with bags of Premier League experience.

The Irishman had scored 21 goals in 113 Premier League appearances for Rovers, who had very mixed fortunes in the top flight during Duff’s time at Ewood Park.

Duff came through the ranks to make his debut for Blackburn at the end of the 1996/97 season, before growing into a first-team regular in the following two seasons.

However, Duff’s time at Blackburn would not be spent entirely in the Premier League.

At the end of the 1998/1999 season, former Premier League winners Blackburn were relegated to what was then the First Division.

It was in the second tier where Duff established himself as first-choice, eventually helping Blackburn back to the Prem after a two-year absence.

The 2001/02 season was a memorable year for Blackburn, who finished mid-table in the Premier League whilst lifting the League Cup over Tottenham Hotspur.

That cup victory allowed Blackburn entry into the UEFA Cup the following season, giving Duff his second taste of continental football after making his debut in the same tournament back in 1998.

By the end of the 2002/03 season, Chelsea were posed to bring Duff to Stamford Bridge.

It was not a straightforward endeavour, with the Blues making five separate bids of increasing value to eventually sign the Dubliner.

In the end, Duff’s release clause was met, with the winger taking a few days to agree to the move and earn a reported £70,000 a week.

Price-tag pressure non-existent for Damien Duff at Chelsea

Whilst Duff’s transfer fee was not too out of line with the fees paid by Chelsea that summer, there would always be pressure on the man made the club’s record signing.

However, any fears of Duff being a flop were quickly dismissed.

In the Premier League, the Irish international provided five goals and nine assists in 23 appearances as the Blues finished second behind the Arsenal Invincibles.

Although a shoulder injury limited his gametime towards the end of the season, another factor behind Duff playing just over half of Chelsea’s Premier League games was his involvement in their Champions League fixtures.

Duff would frequently be rested to be fresh for continental action, helping the Blues past aforementioned Arsenal and into the semi-finals of the competition for the first time.

However, that same shoulder injury ruled him out of the semi-finals against Monaco, where Chelsea were dumped out by the Ligue 1 outfit.

The arrival of Jose Mourinho at the end of the 2003/04 season would be a game-changer for both Chelsea and Duff.

Now into his prime at 26, Duff remained first-choice on the wing alongside Arjen Robben, making 58 appearances across Chelsea’s two title-winning seasons.

In total, Duff would score 19 goals and produce 30 assists in 125 appearances for the Blues.