Former Chelsea footballer and manager John Hollins has died aged 76.

Hollins made 592 appearances for the Blues scoring 64 goals over two separate spells and is fifth for the most appearances ever for the club behind legends Ron Harris and Frank Lampard.

The midfielder was described as a “dream player” by the club and was very popular with the fans as he won two Player of the Year awards during his stints there.

Chelsea said they were “greatly saddened” to announce Hollins’s death in a tweet.

Some of his most notable achievements for Chelsea include winning the League Cup with them in 1965, the FA Cup in 1970, and the prestigious European Cup Winners’ Cup after they beat Spanish giants Real Madrid in a replayed final.

Hollins would also play for London teams Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers before he returned to his boyhood club in 1983 for one season.

In 1985, he was back in Chelsea’s dugout but this time as a manager taking over from the retired John Neal.

After an unsuccessful title charge in Hollins’s first year at the helm, Chelsea would lose form and by March 1988 – after a four-month winless run – Hollins was sacked.

Thereafter, his management career yo-yoed between leading Swansea City to the Division Three title in 1999 and leaving the club in 2001 as the Swans were relegated.

Hollins would manage a few more teams across the English football leagues until 2008 including Stockport, Crawley and Weymouth.

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Hollins’s son Chris won Strictly Come Dancing in 2009 and he tweeted: “My hero, best friend and dad left us today.

“He was so modest but I will say it. He was a great player, brilliant team mate and one hell of a person. My Mum, sister and all his grandchildren will miss him so much.”

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