At the age of 15, Hollins began playing for the west London club and went on to make more than 500 appearances until taking over as manager for three years in 1985.
'Chelsea Football Club is deeply saddened to announce the demise of our former player and manager John Hollins MBE at age 76,' read a statement from the club.
We at the club would like to express our deepest sympathies to John's family and friends.
Chris, his son, wrote on Twitter: "My idol, greatest friend, and father left us today. I'll say it even though he was so modest. He was a fantastic teammate, player, and human being all rolled into one. His grandchildren, my mother, sister, and I shall all miss him dearly.
'John was always very modest about the role he played in Chelsea's history,' Chris Hollins continued in a statement provided to Chelsea.
He joined the club at the age of 15, and went on to play for those amazing teams of the 1960s and 1970s, winning championships.
He told us a lot of stories, but he said that his favorite memories involved wearing that recognizable blue shirt and rushing across the Bridge. We will always be proud of what he accomplished in the game and miss him as a spouse, father, and grandfather.
Famous former captain John Terry paid respect on social media by tweeting, "My love and condolences are with the Hollins family."
I speak for the owners and directors when I say Daniel Lord Finkelstein
As a young player, Hollins rose to prominence with Chelsea, flourishing first under Tommy Docherty and subsequently Dave Sexton.
Hollins, a midfielder who was dubbed "selfless, defense-minded, enthusiastically versatile and creative," went on to score 64 goals in 592 appearances for Chelsea, the fifth-highest number of games played by a Blues player.
Prior to returning to Chelsea for a last 12-month stint before retiring at the end of the season, Hollins played for Chelsea for four years, followed by four years each at Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal.
He won the 1964–1965 League Cup, the 1969–1970 FA Cup, the 1970–1971 European Cup Winners' Cup, and the 1983–1984 Second Division championship before calling it a day.
Hollins was appointed manager of Chelsea quite fast since he was
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