Former Premier League and Champions League winner looks unrecognisable – and baffled fans are all saying the same thing

Many Chelsea fans on social media could not recognise one of their former players, as the Blues’ legends trained ahead of their game against Liverpool Legends on Saturday.

The fixtures commemorates Chelsea’s 2004-05 season, which saw them claim their first-ever Premier League and first top-flight title in 50 years, as well as the EFL Cup having beaten Liverpool in the final. 

The two teams also faced off in the Champions League semi-final that season, with the Reds claiming victory over two legs.

Some notable names on either side include Gianfranco Zola, Claude Makelele, William Gallas, Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt.

Chelsea Women great Katie Chapman and Liverpool Women ambassador and ex-player Natasha Dowie will also take part, make history at Anfield this weekend by becoming the first women to feature in the annual legends game. 

But when Chelsea released an image of former midfielder Ramires in his training gear, who weighed as little as 73kg during his playing career, fans could not recognise the 37-year-old.

The Brazilian midfielder rocked a very different hairdo in his playing days and weighed 73kg

Many Chelsea fans on social media could not recognise their club legend in the above photo

The question many supporters on social media asked was ‘who is this?’, as the Brazilian icon donned a fresh high-top haircut and a full beard – a stark contrast to his clean-shaven, almost bald look that the footballing world was accustomed to in the 2010s.

The legends match will be presented by Liverpool’s official training partner AXA, with any funds raised by the Reds going to the LFC Foundation.

Meanwhile, the visitors will be raising funds for Chelsea Foundation, particularly the Chelsea Players’ Trust.

Sir Kenny Dalglish will manage the Liverpool Legends squad, while the Chelsea Legends will be led by Roberto Di Matteo.

Chelsea Legends versus Liverpool Legends will kick-off at 3pm (UK time) on Saturday, and will be available to stream via LFCTV or on Chelsea’s official website on a pay-per-view basis.