Chelsea sign France World Cup winning captain

On 21st June, 1999

He joined a Blues midfield consisting of Dennis Wise, Roberto Di Matteo and Gustavo Poyet as the club looked to build on the previous season's third-placed finish.

Deschamps signed a three-year deal to reunite with Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli, who captained him in the Juventus side that won the UEFA Champions League in 1996, and the 30-year-old midfielder arrived at Stamford Bridge with no little pedigree himself having led his country to World Cup glory the previous summer.

Although he was ultimately unable to add a Premier League trophy to his glittering palmares, the three-time Serie A winner did enjoy FA Cup success during his season-long stay in west London.

Teaming up with France team-mates Franck Leboeuf and Marcel Desailly, Deschamps went on to make 27 appearances in the top flight before moving on to Valencia at the end of the season.

He left having helped Chelsea complete a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the last FA Cup final at the old Wembley Stadium. The achievement propelled him to UEFA Euro 2000, which France won before Deschamps announced his international retirement.

Now in charge of the French national team as manager, the 47-year-old guided France to the last 16 of UEFA Euro 2016 on Sunday. His 23-man squad consists of 10 Premier League players.