Chelsea fans have been left stunned by an image of their former hero, 19 years after he left Stamford Bridge, though he still retains one of his most iconic features. 

In 1997, the Blues were a completely different club. Having won their first major trophy in more than 20 years the season prior, the Stamford Bridge outfit set about crafting a team capable of winning the league title. 

In came players who would leave a lasting legacy at the club. The likes of Celestine Babayaro, Graeme Le Saux, Gus Poyet and Tore Andre Flo were all snapped up ahead of the 1997-98 campaign under their exciting coach Ruud Gullit. 

Luckily for Chelsea, he turned out to be worth every penny as he made 179 appearances during a six-year stay in west London. 

The former Chelsea star looks unrecognisable from his days at Stamford Bridge in the 90s

Chelsea heavily invested in their squad under manager Ruud Gullit ahead of the 1997-98 season after lifting the FA Cup the FA Cup in May

Blues fans would come to adore the 31-time Netherlands international Ed de Goey before he was unceremoniously usurped by another beloved figure, Carlo Cudicini. 

But unlike the Italian, De Goey got his hands on major trophies as the Chelsea No1.

After winning a top-flight title and four Dutch Cups with Feyenoord, the then 31-year-old came straight into Gullit’s side and formed a formidable back five that was later enhanced by the addition of World Cup winner Marcel Desailly in 1998. 

De Goey made 43 appearances for Chelsea in his debut campaign. He averaged a little more than one goal-per-game conceded and made crucial saves as the Blues lifted both the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup. 

He claimed his third major trophy at the end of the 1999-2000 season, however a particular De Goey contribution that year may be the most abiding memory of the 6ft 6ins stopper among the wider footballing public. 

De Goey was the unfortunate goalkeeper between the sticks when Nwankwo Kanu produced his most iconic moment in an Arsenal shirt as the Gunners rallied from two goals down to win 3-2 at Stamford Bridge on October 29, 1999. 

Arsene Wenger’s men went behind to headed goals from Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu before the Nigerian took over proceedings in the final 15 minutes of the London derby. 

De Goey could do nothing about Kanu’s steered finish with the outside of his right boot and was similarly helpless to stop his thumping drive to the near post eight minutes later. 

Ed de Goey made 179 appearances for Chelsea during his six-year spell with the club from 1997

The Netherlands international was completely undone by Nwankwo Kanu’s skill for his iconic hat-trick goal for Arsenal against the Blues in 1999

De Goey ended that campaign with his third major trophy in as many seasons at Chelsea

But the Dutchman was left with egg on his face as time ran out in the tie – and he inexplicably advanced to meet the forward near corner flag – as the Gunners chased a winner. 

Kanu feinted to cross into the box but instead cut the ball inside De Goey, who was left stranded outside his area, and whipped his shot from an impossibly narrow angle past Desailly and Frank Leboeuf retreating to the goaline. 

The former Inter Milan and Ajax striker’s three efforts were the first the keeper had conceded in front of his home fans that season. It was a rare blemish. 

Chelsea finished the campaign as FA Cup winners and De Goey reached two prestigious landmarks. He made a club-record number of appearances in a campaign (59) and kept the most clean sheets (27), although both of these achievements have since been eclipsed. 

The end of the 1999-2000 campaign brought a close to his time as Chelsea’s No1 as Carlo Cudicini was aquired from Italian side Castel di Sangro. 

De Goey’s Premier League appearances fell from 37 to 15 and eventually to just two in the 2002-03 campaign before he departed for then-First Division Stoke City that summer. 

His three years with the Potters were largely unremarkable, with the side comfortably situated in mid-table in the second-tier. 

The Gouda-native eventually called time on his career at the age of 40 in 2006. Some 12 years prior he had played every minute for the Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup. His final appearance for the national team came in 1998. 

He earned 31 caps for the Netherlands in a competitive era that included the ex-Liverpool keeper Sander Westerveld (left) and former Man United stopper Edwin van der Sar (right)

De Goey called time on his career at the end of the 2006 Championship season while playing for Stoke City

De Goey quickly pivoted to a coaching career after his playing days were over, moving back down to London to become a first team coach for QPR. However, he was only in the role for six months before his contract was terminated by new chairman Gianni Paladini. 

He then opted to return to the Netherlands where he joined Dutch side RKC Waalwijk as a goalkeeping coach in 2010. Four years later and he was off again, this time to DHC Delft, a lower-league Dutch side, before moving to his current team VOC Rotterdam in 2018. 

Away from the coaching, De Goey also runs a successful goalkeeping school in Berkel which is a town north of Rotterdam.