I cost Chelsea less than £10m, but I scored a 'billion pound goal' and denied Liverpool on the last day of the season.

Jesper Gronkjaer may not be a household name, but to Chelsea fans, he is a hero who helped fuel their incredible success.

The Blues They were fourth in the Premier League before the final day of the 2002/03 season, when they received Liverpoolwith qualification for the Champions League as the prize for the winner.

It was dubbed the '£20 million match' given the financial rewards that came with qualifying for Europe's premier club competition.

Gronkjaer, who signed for just £7.8 million, proved to be the decisive factor for Chelsea in their 2-1 victory, scoring the winning goal that helped change the club's trajectory forever.

Liverpool took the lead through Sami Hyypia, but Marcel Desailly was able to equalize moments later for the Blues before Gronkjaer curled a superb shot into the bottom corner.

It was enough to seal three points and secure the Champions League for Chelsea, with the finish regarded as a “billion pound goal”.

The west Londoners were on the brink of financial ruin, so much so that then-chief executive Trevor Birch told the team before kick-off that defeat would bring dramatic cost-cutting.

“It was a huge game for Chelsea. We all knew what we were playing for. I remember the stories about our financial situation,” Gronkjaer reflected, speaking to The independent in 2011.

But victory ended the prospect of obscurity when Roman Abramovich bought the club for £140 million in June 2003 and boosted its success in English and European football.

Five Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, two Europa Leagues, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Super Cup and the Club World Cup would follow after his takeover, which came to an end in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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Abramovich spent more than £2bn on new players during his 19 years in charge to help establish Chelsea as one of the biggest clubs in the world.

It is considered unlikely that the Russian businessman would have invested in the club if he had missed Europe on May 11, 2003.

Chelsea only needed a draw against Liverpool but Gronkjaer's goal is the one that remains in their history as a catalyst for trophies.

More than two decades after that crucial day, the modern Blues are also just one point away from securing continental football.

In 2024, Chelsea's financial position is much stronger thanks to the £4.25bn takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital following the sale of Abramovich two years ago.

The Champions League is out of reach, but at least a draw at home to Bournemouth this Sunday would see them qualify for the Europa Conference League.

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Mauricio Pochettino's team are in sixth place and in recent form, which includes Wednesday's. 2-1 victory over Brightonhas been key to its positioning.

The Europa League remains a possibility if they beat Bournemouth, but they would also have to see Tottenham lose to bottom-placed Sheffield United. However, a sixth place finish would be enough to qualify for the Europa League should Manchester United lose to Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Chelsea have spent around £1 billion on transfers since their last acquisition, but still have nothing to show for it.

However, if they were to emulate a final day scenario like Gronkjaer's pivotal goal, then history could repeat itself for years to come.