Claude Makelele, whose departure from Chelsea was announced today, leaves as a double Premier League winner, an FA Cup winner, twice a winner of the Carling Cup and a player who helped lift the Community Shield.

It's a personal record that stands alongside any in our history.

His five years at Stamford Bridge have been five years in which the club has advanced spectacularly, and five years with the eyes of the world looking on.

When Claude chose to leave the mighty Real Madrid for London, he wasn't ready to step out of the spotlight or turn his back on success. He had no need to worry.

Signed in the first summer of the Roman Abramovich era, Claude was the final of many additions to the squad for the 2003/04 season. He arrived after the season had commenced with a side that despite heavy investment, was lacking a renowned defensive midfielder given Emmanuel Petit's chronic injury problems. New-signing Gérémi had begun the season in the role.

Already a Champions League winner at Madrid, Claude was publicly acclaimed by his team-mates in Spain but seemingly underappreciated by Real club officials. The then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri described him as the battery in his expensive watch when £13.9 million facilitated the move and the new Chelsea began to tick.

The final piece in the jigsaw was slotted into place in the second-half of a 4-2 win over Spurs, the perfect to start any Chelsea career. His full debut was a 5-0 win at Wolves, and even if there was a slight fall away in form over that first winter, his acclimatisation was swift enough to be Frank Lampard's near-permanent partner in central midfield that first season. Claude made the fourth-highest number of appearances.

When it came to the campaign's defining moment, the historic Champions League win at Highbury, it was a Makelele shot, not held by the keeper, that was turned in by Lampard for the equaliser.

Claude had no problem switching from regular choice under Ranieri to regular choice under José Mourinho in his second season. He rose to become joint second-highest appearance maker with 50 games in all competitions as Chelsea cruised to the title.

In the final home game, he miskicked in the rebound from his own saved penalty for a winner and his first Chelsea goal. The song 'Have you ever seen Maka score a goal? Yes we have!' will remain an enduring memory of a golden year - the moment a perfect chance to appreciate a true hero of the title win.

Claude's style was not the crunch of Roy Keane or the rangy stride of Patrick Vieira, two dominant midfielders in the previous Premier League's winning sides. Instead he was all about positioning, anticipation and wisdom, often winning the ball by stealth as he nipped around in front of the rearguard and shielded possession.

Short on inches but high on stamina, quick over a couple of yards and not without strength, such was his ability to set Chelsea on the attack with his clever and rapid pass selection that opposition managers began to identify him as vital to the assault on their goal.

In an almost unprecedented move, they began to man-mark our defensive midfielder deep in his own-half. Rarely can such a complement have been paid.

For a short period the Blues were disrupted, before Mourinho reshaped his side and the winning continued. For Claude it was another outstanding season as Chelsea were again crowned champions, recognised when he was named the club's Players' Player of the Year. During the three years since he left, Real Madrid failed to win a trophy.

And the year did not end there. In the summer of 2006 he played in the World Cup Final, France losing out on penalties to Italy.

Unlike former Blues Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps, he had enjoyed his international high point while a Chelsea player. At both club and country he succeeded Petit in the side and was even persuaded out of international retirement to help his struggling nation. He won 47 of his 71 caps while with Chelsea, a total only bettered by three players.

His extended international involvement and by then 33 years of age made it inevitable he would be used a little more sparingly in the 2006/07 season, especially with some new young talent in place to understudy.

He still managed 54 games for Chelsea and France combined and when it came to the crunch, the first FA Cup Final at Wembley, Claude was asked to play all 120 minutes and was outstanding.

The previous November had come a real bolt from the blue - Claude crashing in a 30-yard volley at White Hart Lane for his second and final Chelsea goal. The word 'unexpected' does not do it justice and it appeared to herald another memorable derby win, however with John Terry later sent-off, Spurs overturned the deficit.

Mastery of the English language will not go down as one of his great successes but in the dressing room, Claude, the oldest player, was still a leader in his understated way, publicly recognising the club had grown to match the infrastructure and mentality of Real Madrid.

He began last season on the sidelines but returned for the Champions League campaign where he was the holding midfielder of choice right through to the Final.

Avram Grant, like his predecessor, selected the wise old head when silverware was on the line and although this time the team missed out, he was again a top performer on the big stage.

Claude especially came into his own during the African Cup of Nations period of enforced midfield absence by colleagues when having overcome an ear operation, legs that were turning 35-years-old carried him through seven straight Chelsea games in a month. He also passed the 200 game mark for the club, only the eighth overseas player to do so.

Last season he made a reduced 29 starts and five sub appearances. In total during his Chelsea career he made 201+16 appearances with two goals scored.

It is frequently pointed out his impact on the English game is such that the Makelele role and the holding role are now synonymous.

It says just as much that for a position reputedly unnoticed and unsung by fans generally, no Chelsea follower ever forgets to celebrate Maka's part in the club's most glorious years.