The new signing from Ipswich will wear the infamous jersey during his debut season at Stamford Bridge after completing his £30m move
So many of the greatest strikers in world football have worn the No.9 shirt for club and country – from Alan Shearer to Ronaldo, Gabriel Batistuta to Robert Lewandowski.
At Chelsea, however, the No.9 seems to carry more weight than most. Players throughout the Premier League era at Stamford Bridge having struggled while wearing the iconic number, with former manager Thomas Tuchel even going as far to agree with the assertion that "it's cursed".
Liam Delap, then, is a brave man after the new £30 million ($41m) signing chose the No.9 jersey for his first season in west London after arriving from Ipswich Town. He will become the first player since the 2022-23 season to don the jersey, so can the England Under-21 international be the man to break the curse?
So which players have worn the shirt and how bad has it really been? GOAL runs down those who have worn the infamous jersey in recent times…
GettyThe early EPL years (1992-2000)
The first player to wear the No.9 in the Premier League era for Chelsea was Tony Cascarino, between 1992-1994. He set the unfortunate precedent for players to don the jersey, though, as the Ireland international scored just six league goals across two seasons.
However the following two players enjoyed rather more success in the No.9 – Mark Stein wore it between 1994-1996, knocking in a respectable 25 goals across 63 games in Chelsea blue. This was when they were a mid-table side in the pre-Roman Abramovich era, remember.
Stein was followed by Gianluca Vialli, who achieved legendary status at Chelsea in his time as the No.9 from 1996-1999. He won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup – before becoming manager in 1998.
However the No.9 curse was firmly re-established in the 1999-2000 season by Chris Sutton, who scored only one league goal all campaign after arriving in a £10 million move from Blackburn Rovers.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportJimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2000-04)
Before the stinkers, let us salute a Chelsea great and arguably the greatest No.9 for the club in the Premier League era.
A club-record signing for £15m from Atletico Madrid, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored on his debut on his way to bagging 26 goals in his first Blues season, and 29 in 2001-02. His goal tally fell slightly in his final two Stamford Bridge campaigns, but he formed a key part of the final pre-Abramovich era team, before being sold to Middlesbrough in 2004.
GettyMateja Kezman (2004-05)
The 2004-05 season was historic for Chelsea fans, as they swept to the Premier League title under Jose Mourinho, on the back of several star signings.
However, for every Frank Lampard, there was a Mateja Kezman. The Serbian arrived with a big reputation from his time at PSV, but scored just four goals in 25 games and was sold on to Atletico Madrid at season's end.
Getty Images SportHernan Crespo (2005-06)
Hernan Crespo took over the vacant No.9 after Kezman left – and despite those who claim Crespo was an underwhelming Chelsea player, he was actually integral in their second-straight league crown.
Crespo scored 13 goals in all competitions – however he and his family never settled in England, which meant Blues fans never saw him at his peak. He was loaned to Inter the following season and saw out his Chelsea contract in Italy.