Ray Wilkins

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Ray Wilkins
11th February 1978
0Full Name Raymond Colin Wilkins
0Date of Birth 14 September 1956
0Place of Birth Hillingdon, Middlesex
Player
0Position Midfielder
0Chelsea career 1973-1979
0Debut 26 October 1973
0Games (goals) 198 (34)
0Other clubs Manchester United
Milan
Paris Saint Germain
Glasgow Rangers
Queens Park Rangers
Crystal Palace
Wycombe Wanderers
Hibernian
Millwall
Leyton Orient
Staff
0Years 1998-2000
2008-2010
0Role(s) Assistant First Team Coach
Caretaker Manager
0Other clubs Queens Park Rangers
Fulham
Millwall

Raymond Colin Wilkins MBE (born 14 September 1956) is a former Chelsea player who was club captain during the late 1970s and voted player of the year in 1976 and 1977. He was also assistant manager at Chelsea under four different managers, and had two spells as caretaker manager, in 2000 and 2009.

The son of professional footballer George Wilkins, Wilkins (nicknamed Butch from childhood) made his name in the 1970s with boyhood club Chelsea, whom he joined as an apprentice, progressing to his first team debut against Norwich City in October 1973. His brothers Graham and Stephen also joined Chelsea around this time.

In 1975, following relegation and the departure of many of the club's established players, an 18-year old Wilkins was handed the captaincy of Chelsea by new manager Eddie McCreadie, taking it from long-time Blues captain Ron Harris. He took to the role well, maintaining it for four years. He emerged as Chelsea's key player in this period, leading a team of mainly young players to promotion again in 1976-77 and consolidation in the First Division in the next season.

International

Wilkins was called up to play for England for the first time in 1976 by coach Don Revie and quickly made his debut against Italy during a mini-tournament in the U.S.. He was to become a permanent fixture in England squads for a decade to come.

Returns to Chelsea

Wilkins returned to Chelsea in February 1999 to be assistant manager to Gianluca Vialli following Graham Rix's imprisonment, and was with the club when they won FA Cup in 2000. When Vialli was dismissed months later, Wilkins was appointed caretaker manager alongside Rix, taking charge for two games before departing when Claudio Ranieri arrived with his own backroom team.

In September 2008 Wilkins was appointed assistant to Luiz Felipe Scolari and again took over as caretaker manager when Scolari was sacked. He remained assistant during the reigns of Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti, winning a league title and two FA Cups. In November 2010 the club announced that Wilkins' contract would not be renewed and he left the same day.

Images

Player of the Year
1967: Bonetti | 1968: Cooke | 1969: Webb | 1970: Hollins | 1971: Hollins | 1972: Webb | 1973: Osgood | 1974: Locke
1975: Cooke | 1976: Wilkins | 1977: Wilkins | 1978: Droy | 1979: Langley | 1980: Walker | 1981: Borota | 1982: Fillery
1983: Jones | 1984: Nevin | 1985: Speedie | 1986: Niedzwiecki | 1987: Nevin | 1988: Dorigo | 1989: Roberts
1990: Monkou | 1991: Townsend | 1992: Elliott | 1993: Sinclair | 1994: Clarke | 1995: Johnsen | 1996: Gullit
1997: Hughes | 1998: Wise | 1999: Zola | 2000: Wise | 2001: Terry | 2002: Cudicini | 2003: Zola | 2004: Lampard
2005: Lampard | 2006: Terry | 2007: Essien | 2008: J.Cole | 2009: Lampard | 2010: Drogba | 2011: Čech | 2012: Mata
2013: Mata | 2014: Hazard
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