Chelsea infamously broke their transfer record to sign the Scottish international for the first ever season of Premiership football after he went on strike to force through a move. Having scored a solid 39 goals in 143 appearances, Chelsea probably thought they'd be getting a good return for their money and have a showcase striker for the rebranded top flight. Instead, his name lives on as arguably the first of many big money Blues strikers to fail miserably at justifying their transfer fee. Fleck managed a paltry three goals in forty appearances for the Blues and was loaned out to Bolton, with an equally miserable scoring rate of one goal in seven appearances, and Bristol City, where his scoring ratio somehow got even worse with him scoring one in ten. Eventually he returned to Carrow Road with his tail between his legs. While he managed to win over fans still angry with his behaviour over the Chelsea move by forming a solid partnership with Ashley Ward, he was sold after three years when his performances tailed off once again. Fleck's name still lives on in a sarcastic chant, 'We all live in a Robert Fleck world', sung to the tune of Yellow Submarine. Unsurprisingly, it isn't heard terribly often around Stamford Bridge these days now that fans have a brand new hopeless, big money striker to cheer ironically.
28-year old English writer with a borderline obsessive passion for films, videogames, Chelsea FC, incomprehensible words and indefensible puns. Follow me on Twitter if you like infrequent outbursts of absolute drivel.
