Ramires says heartfelt goodbye to Chelsea fans, staff, teammates

The records will show that it was a "dream come true" for Ramires to join Chelsea after World Cup 2010.  There were doubts about his physicality but he quickly established himself at the club; his second season (2011-12) was probably his best in a Chelsea shirt.  He, as we all know, was a man equally capable of the sublime and the horrifying, all memorable in their own unique ways.

All-in-all, in his five-and-a-half seasons, Ramires made 251 appearances and scored 34 goals in all competitions, good enough for 53rd and 69th all-time, respectively.  That's almost as many games as Michael Essien and one more goal than Juan Mata!  He especially loved scoring in the FA Cup (7 in 21), and while we all remember the goal against Barcelona or the one against Manchester City, his goals against Spurs (semifinal) and Liverpool (final) during the 2011-12 FA Cup run were significant as well.

As the man known as the Blue Kenyan ('Blue' from his time at Cruzeiro and 'Kenyan' for his indefatigable running on the pitch) heads off to China and a fat paycheck (rumored to be 2x his Chelsea wages), he sent a heartfelt message to Chelsea fans, staff, and teammates on Instagram.

I would like say thanks to Chelsea and their fans for all good moments that I have lived here. I'm proud to have written my name in the club's history with titles, especially the Champions League. I need to say a special thanks also to all people who have supported me daily, staff, management and team partners. You'll always have my admiration. Thank you, @chelseafc

I would like say thanks to Chelsea and their fans for all good moments that I have lived here. I'm proud to have written my name in the club's history with titles, especially the Champions League. I need to say a special thanks also to all people who have supported me daily, staff, management and team partners. You'll always have my admiration. Thank you, @chelseafc Gostaria de agradecer imensamente ao Chelsea e sua torcida por todos os anos maravilhosos que passei no clube. Saio orgulhoso por saber que deixei meu nome na história do clube com os títulos que ajudei a conquistar, em especial, o da Liga dos Campeões. Não posso esquecer de agradecer especialmente também a todos que sempre me apoiaram diariamente, pessoal do staff, comissão técnica, direção e companheiros. Vocês sempre terão a minha admiração. Obrigado por tudo, @chelseafc

A photo posted by Rami7oficial (@rami7oficial) on Jan 27, 2016 at 11:12am PST

Fare thee well, Ramires Santos do Nascimento.  Maybe we'll see each other again someday.