chelsea football club

Chelsea Career
Jose Bosingwa brought with him pace, energy and guile to the right-back spot after arriving from Porto in the summer of 2008.

The Portuguese international's first campaign in England was characterised by his ability to get forward and cause problems in the opposition's half, scoring two superb goals away against Stoke and West Brom.

He didn't just attack though, his speed was equally useful in defensive situations where he demonstrated an ability to cover for team-mates, while he rarely gave the ball away.

Beginning his new life in England under former national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, he missed out on an opportunity to impress early on when he injured a groin just 20 minutes into the first pre-season friendly in China and flew home.

However he was fit for the start of the season and was first choice on the right of defence, also proving capable of filling in at left-back, as he did so admirably while marking Lionel Messi in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona in 2009, restricting the normally unstoppable Argentinian to a bit-part role in the game.

However Jose's second season, 2009/10, ended in the October with a knee injury worse than initially feared.

Only a sub as we won the Community Shield at Wembley in August 2009, his introduction at half-time sparked a comeback and penalty shootout victory.

He was in the starting 11 against Hull for the league opener but was suspended for two European games due to comments made about referee Tom Henning Ovrebo following the infamous home game against Barcelona the season before.

Jose limped off midway through a match against Aston Villa with his knee complaint and although Carlo Ancelotti hoped to have his man back within days, surgery was required in November 2009.

When a full return was still not possible in March, the decision was taken for another operation that would rule him out of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

His return came a year after the injury and against the same opposition, Aston Villa, and with Branislav Ivanovic required for centre-back duty with Alex injured for the mid part of the 2010/11 season, Jose again saw regular action at right-back although was chosen less frequently towards the season's end when all defenders were fit.

Pre-Chelsea
Jose agreed terms with Chelsea prior to Euro 2008, agreeing a three-year deal to sign from Porto, where he had spent the previous five seasons since signing from Boavista in 2003.

While with Porto, he was a team-mate of our own Paulo Ferreira as well as former Blues Carvalho and Maniche, and established himself as first-choice right-back upon Ferreira's switch to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2004.

Used just 13 times in his first season by José Mourinho, Bosingwa became a regular during 2004/05, eventually playing over 100 times.

He played twice against Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge in September 2004 in our 3-1 group stage win over the reigning European champions (he was an unused sub for the away fixture) and in the first leg of 2006/07's first knockout round, a 1-1 draw in Porto.

The player's consistency for his club allowed him to break into the Portugal squad, where he became the regular right-back when fit.

Born in Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of Congo, the same birthplace as Claude Makelele, José Bosingwa da Silva moved to Portugal at an early age and was recruited by Boavista where he developed his all-round game - solid at the back, energetic down the flanks and incisive in attack.

International
A former Portugal Under 21 international, Jose made his debut for the full national side in May 2007, and was first choice at right-back at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland shortly after his transfer to Chelsea was finalised. Under his soon-to-be club manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, Jose and Portugal made it through to the quarter-finals where they were beaten by the Germans, Michael Ballack scoring the winner. Jose was named in the team of the tournament.

He also represented his nation at the 2004 Olympics but injury cost him participation in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.