Claude Makelele confirms his best moment in a Chelsea shirt, it followed 50 years of ‘dreaming’

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Claude Makelele is one of the best central midfielders to have played for Chelsea.

He is also one of the best midfielders to have ever played in the Premier League, having such an effect that the holding midfield position was named after him, becoming the ‘Makelele role’.

During his time in West London, he won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and two League Cups.

And he has now confirmed which of those illustrious moments was his best at Stamford Bridge.

Claude Makelele reveals first Premier League triumph to be his best Chelsea moment

Speaking on the BBC’s Football Daily podcast, the Frenchman was asked for his best moment with the Blues.

Answering with no hesitation, Makelele replied: “The first Premier League.”

The 52-year-old explained that he held this moment above all others because of the length of time it had been since the club’s last top flight success.

The former midfielder said: “50 years [the fans had been] dreaming.”

There was also an element of personal ambition and relief, Makelele revealing that the players themselves had been “dreaming” of winning the league “because we fought with Arsenal and Manchester United, big teams [with] great players.”

The manner in which Jose Mourinho’s side cantered to the title must also play a part in Makelele’s thinking, Chelsea winning the league with a then-record 95 points after losing just one game all season.

‘The Makelele Role’ – how Claude Makelele created a defensive legacy at Chelsea

Arriving in West London from Real Madrid, Makelele had already built an established reputation as one of the best midfielders in the world.

Playing under Claudio Ranieri, the Frenchman would make 30 top flight appearances in his first season at the club, helping Chelsea to a second-place finish, their best in the Premier League to that point.

After Mourinho joined the club in the summer of 2004, Makelele was utilised in a slightly deeper midfield role, freeing Frank Lampard to get forwards more often.

It was a balance that proved vital to Chelsea’s success: in the 2004/05 title-winning campaign, Chelsea scored 72 goals, the second most in the top flight that year, while only conceding 15, to this day a Premier League record.

Makelele has since revealed Mourinho’s dual personality, something that helped the Chelsea squad get over the line in the Portuguese manager’s first season in charge and then repeat the feat in his second.

Indeed, it was a similar story in the 2005/06 campaign, Chelsea scoring the joint-most with 72 goals while conceding just 22, again the least in the division.

While Mourinho’s importance cannot be understated, it was success built on Makelele’s ability in the centre of the park, and it’s why the Frenchman is rightly considered to be one of the best holding midfielders to have ever played the game.