“OSGOOD is good” was the oft-uttered battle cry at Stamford Bridge in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the footballer Peter Osgood became the epitome of a Chelsea side renowned for its flair and flamboyancy.

During this period with Osgood, the London side lifted the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Later with Southampton, Osgood would once again taste Cup glory. All three achievements owed greatly to his skill and prolific scoring.

Standing 6ft 2in (1.88m) and weighing 12st (76kg), with broad shoulders and narrow hips, he did not have the usual physique of a centre forward, but his strength lay in his suppleness and versatility. He could rise to any occasion, whether as a striker or midfield player; he was gifted with marvellous control and possessed of a sheer hunger for goals.

The Chelsea side of that era may not have been as successful as Arsenal or as ruthless as Leeds United — indeed, inconsistency was one of their hallmarks — but they were England’s most glamorous outfit, and “Ossie” arguably their biggest celebrity.

Peter Osgood was born in Windsor in 1947 and attended Dedworth Secondary Modern. As a youth he played for the Slough and District team. He would often play alongside his uncle Bob, who was only nine years older than him, and it was he who wrote to Chelsea asking that they give his nephew a trial.

Chelsea signed him as an amateur and six months later, in September 1964, he turned professional. The teenage Osgood made his debut in a League Cup replay at home to Workington Town on December 16 and scored twice in a 3-2 victory. Osgood made his first division debut, against Newcastle United in September 1965, and the following month he scored his first League goal, away to Sheffield United.

By the end of the 1965-66 season he had cemented his place in the Chelsea first team that was pushing the likes of Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester United for the title, and had begun to cause a sensation.

But in October 1966 he broke his leg. Without him for the rest of the season, Chelsea, who had started so brightly, declined into mid-table mediocrity. That season aside, Chelsea had not finished outside the top six since promotion in 1963. With their stylish manner on the field and their colourful lifestyles off it, they became Britain’s most fashionable side.

Osgood became something of a celebrity. Dubbed “the King of Kings Road”, he drove fast cars, wore the latest fashions and drank champagne with beautiful women. Such was his capacity for alcohol that he held the reputation as being the only man who could drink Scotland’s legendary imbiber Jim “Bacardi” Baxter under the table.

Richard Attenborough, a devoted Chelsea fan, contributed to the aura of glamour now attached to the club. The actor and director invited Raquel Welch to Stamford Bridge and introduced the Hollywood star to the Chelsea striker. After scoring his 100th league goal, Osgood departed the pitch to find Steve McQueen in his dressing-room. “I wasn’t that bothered by the 100th goal, I just wanted the great man’s autograph,” Osgood recalled.

Osgood won the first of his six under-23 caps in 1967, and made his first full England appearance against Belgium in 1970. He came on twice as a substitute in the World Cup finals in Mexico that year, but he had to wait until November 1973 for his next cap, at home against Italy. The relative paucity of his England caps — four — owed much to the competition during that era, but also to differences with the national manager Alf Ramsey, who thought Osgood undisciplined.

Meanwhile, domestically, Osgood had recovered for the 1967-68 first division campaign, in which he played in all the matches, ending up as leading goalscorer.

Two seasons later Chelsea reached the FA Cup Final, in which they were pitted against Leeds United. After a 2-2 draw at Wembley, the replay was held at Old Trafford in a thoroughly ill-tempered clash. After Mick Jones had put the Yorkshire club into the lead, Chelsea’s Charlie Cooke launched a diagonal chip that met with a flying header from Osgood to even the score. A winner from David Webb eventually landed Chelsea the trophy in extra time. Osgood’s goal in that game made him one of a select few to have scored in every round of the FA Cup in one season.

He played an even more crucial role in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in May 1971. Although he had missed out in the semi-final victory over Manchester City, in the final in Athens against Real Madrid he returned to form by putting the Blues ahead in the 57th minute. He subsequently had to go off injured, however, and Real equalised in the dying moments to force a replay. In that game Osgood added to John Dempsey’s initial strike, and although Real replied with 15 minutes remaining, Chelsea held on to a 2-1 lead to secure their first piece of European silverware.

Although they failed to retain the cup the next season, that campaign was notable for Chelsea’s record 21-0 aggregate demolition of the Luxembourg side Jeunesse d’Esch, with Osgood scoring eight goals in the tie.

In March 1972 Chelsea reached their third final in a row, this time in the League Cup against Stoke City. Osgood, having been lucky to avoid dismissal for a series of reckless tackles, redeemed himself when he hooked the ball in while on the ground, to equalise for Chelsea. But Stoke’s George Eastham put the Potteries side into a 2-1 lead with 15 minutes to go, leaving Chelsea, this time, with the runner-up medals.

By 1973 Chelsea’s fortunes were faltering. The manager, Dave Sexton, had lost his rapport with his players and the board, and the club, in financial difficulties, began to sell its best assets. When the board announced that they would not sack Sexton, Osgood requested a transfer, and in March 1974 he moved to Southampton for £275,000, a record for British football.

He scored 28 goals in 122 appearances for the Saints, the most memorable being in the 1976 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. Southampton, of the second division, were 6-1 outsiders, and many assumed the outcome to be a foregone conclusion. But Southampton were resilient and bellicose, with Osgood proving particularly energetic. A late goal by Bobby Stokes gave Southampton a 1-0 victory.

Osgood went on to have spells with Norwich City and Philadelphia Fury, before rejoining Chelsea in December 1978 for £25,000. He made a handful of appearances, but the manager Geoff Hurst let him go the following year. In total, he made 376 appearances for the club, netting 150 times.

His first years of retirement were not kind to him. His pub business collapsed, and he was declared bankrupt in 1985. His second marriage failed, and he developed a drink problem.

But things began to pick up in 1986, when he was appointed youth coach at Portsmouth. He thereafter worked with the Southampton public relations team, and ran corporate golf weekends and remained in demand on the after-dinner speech circuit. He was also a television pundit.

Twice divorced, Osgood is survived by his third wife, Lynnette, and two sons.

Peter Osgood, footballer, was born on February 20, 1947. He collapsed and died on March 1, 2006, aged 59.