Ex-Chelsea and Benfica star looks unrecognisable years on from Champions League win

Former Chelseamidfielder Ramiresappears virtually unrecognisable over a decade after he won the Champions League in west London.

The Brazilian arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2010 from Portuguese outfit Benfica, who are set to visit the Blues for a European encounter. Ramires started his footballing journey in his home country, establishing himself as a promising prospect at Cruzeiro before his switch to Portugal.

A transfer fee of £18.3million secured him a move from Lisbon to London 15 years ago and he claimed virtually every major honour in English football, including the Premier League title and UEFA's two premier tournaments.

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The 38-year-old raised eyebrows when he agreed to join Chinese Super League outfit Jiangsu Suning in January 2016, aged just 28. He completed the switch for a then-record £25million fee for the division and subsequently featured for Palmeiras before hanging up his boots in 2022.

His Chinese adventure wasn't the sole occasion Ramires has surprised supporters, though. In March this year, photographs surfaced of the Brazilian making a return to Cobham and catching up with former team-mates, with his transformed look leaving many stunned.

Pictured alongside staff members and ex-colleague John Obi Mikel, Ramires shared an image on social media accompanied by the message: "Today I had the pleasure of training again at Cobham and reuniting with great friends I made while defending Chelsea. Tomorrow is game day for Chelsea Legends! Come on, Blues!"

Throughout his playing career, Ramires typically maintained a closely-cropped hairstyle, sometimes opting for a completely shaved head. However, since retiring from football, he has chosen to let his hair grow considerably longer.

Combined with numerous tattoos that were seldom visible during his playing days, many supporters struggled to identify him when these images emerged online. Following his departure from west London, Ramires has addressed criticism surrounding his 2016 transfer to the Chinese Super League.

Whilst numerous observers suggested the midfielder's motivation was purely financial, he has firmly rejected such accusations. He stated: "I see a lot of people saying that I came to China just for the money, but that's not true.

"If you look at the situation I was going through at Chelsea at the time of the transfer you will see that I was [Guus] Hiddink's last option in my position.

"This was frustrating me a lot. The situation was only getting worse and at that moment came the interest of the Chinese club. Jiangsu introduced me to a long-term project where I would be a key player.

"They offered me everything I could think of and more, and I decided, together with my agent and family, that this would be the best decision."

Currently, two of Ramires' former clubs, Chelsea and Benfica, are preparing to clash in the Champions League. Speaking recently, the 38-year-old revealed his thoughts on one particular player he believes can flourish under Enzo Maresca's guidance.

Discussing his fellow countryman and rising star Estevao, who has been featuring regularly for Chelsea this season, Ramires shared with Bolavip: "I believe he'll find the ideal environment to further develop, especially tactically, which is highly valued and demanded in England.

"I myself, when I went there, improved significantly in that regard. [The club will be] demanding a lot from the tactical side, so I believe this has already prepared him. I haven't had the opportunity to meet Estevao in person yet, but I can see he's a humble, hard-working guy with a lot of personality.

"When a team wins a title as important as the World Cup, the responsibility increases greatly. Chelsea has assembled a very strong and motivated squad. The hardest part isn't getting to the top, but staying there. I'll be rooting for everything to work out."