| Name: | Didier Drogba |
| Nationality: | Ivorian |
| Date of Birth: | 11/03/1978 |
| Height: | 6' 2" (189cm) |
| Weight: | 14st 5lbs (91.0kg) |
| Previous | |
| Clubs: | Marseille, Guingamp |
| Position: | Striker |
Pace allied to strength and aerial power made Didier the type of forward not seen at Stamford Bridge for quite a while on his arrival in 2004 and the ingredients all came together to create a memorable 20006/7 season, followed by more outstanding displays last campaign.
Although his 15 goals last year fell short of the 33 scored the one before, there were still Goal of the Season contenders among them and had the African Cup of Nations and a recurring knee problem not intervened, he might have matched a total that had made him Chelsea's highest scorer in a season since Kerry Dixon in 1984/85.
Importantly, Didier delivers on the big occasions. His 2008 Carling Cup Final goal in the defeat to Spurs was his fourth in cup finals, a Chelsea best, and he became the first African to score in an FA Cup Final with his extra-time winner over Man United in 2007.
Unfortunately his Moscow match will be remembered just as much for a red card as an outstanding shot onto the post but his stunning demolition of Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final was special, as had been his goals home and away against Barcelona in earlier European campaigns.
Didier was signed in the summer of 2004 from Marseille where he had been named France's Player of the Year. A reported fee of £24 million was paid.
The man who spearheaded Ivory Coast to a first World Cup Finals in 2006 moved from Africa to live in France as a young child and played his early junior football at right-back.
He dabbled with various small clubs and even turned down the chance of a trial at Paris St-Germain, preferring to learn his trade before moving onto the big stage.
He did so at Second Division Le Mans before shifting up a division to Guingamp, a club he had been prevented from joining some years earlier due to injury.
It was during this spell in Brittany that Didier first came to the attention of José Mourinho - but after scoring 17 goals in 2002/03 and becoming an international, he had moved out of Porto's price range.
Olympique Marseille swooped and they did not regret their move. After a gentle-paced start to his career in France, Didier hit full sprint following the move to the big time.
In his second season at l'OM, he netted 18 times in 35 league games and six times as the 2004 Uefa Cup Final was reached, including braces against Liverpool and Newcastle.
In addition to his France Footballer of the Year award, Fifa recognised the achievements with a nomination for World Player of the Year. Mourinho made the player a top target in his first summer of transfer activity at Chelsea - and this time the price wasn't a problem.
A groin operation forced him out for two months midway through his first season and it took time to reach full power again.
But Didier scored in the 2005 Carling Cup Final and the man asked to fill the central position in a front three netted 10 times in the championship-winning campaign and
16 times in all competitions.
In 2005/06 his season's tally was again 16 goals, 12 coming during the successful defence of the Premiership, but before that triumph, there was also adversity.
Following handball incidents in two games and accusations of diving, it took character to respond with an awe-inspiring showing against West Ham at the Bridge in March 2006.
Chelsea came back from a goal and a man down to win 4-1, prompting Mourinho to say:
'Didier should go home, switch on the TV, listen to the pundits, buy every single paper tomorrow and listen and read to see if the same people who wanted to kill him have now the common sense to say what he deserves.'
Didier captained Ivory Coast in their maiden World Cup Finals in 2006 and found the net against Argentina before returning to Chelsea where he was asked to mould a strike partnership with newly-arrived Andriy Shevchenko.
He found playing with two-up suited as the flow of goals turned into a torrent.
His 20 in the league won the Premiership Golden Boot. His 60 games tally was the second highest appearances in a season in the club's history.
The African Player of the Year that season, he has become Chelsea's all-time highest scoring international.
He signed a new deal to keep him at the club until 2010 but a passionate and emotional man, he reacted publicly to the departure of Mourinho and since has been regularly linked with a move away. Both Club and player vowed to concentrate on football and talk in the summer.
Last season, injury and unavailability limited Didier's impact compared with the season before. A knee problem became too much to bear and so surgery kept him from action for a month before African Nations duty where Ivory Coast made the semis.
On his return and on his day, he continued to look unstoppable, not least in leading a two-goal turnaround against Arsenal at the Bridge in March when the long unbeaten home record had looked to be ending. With his Liverpool goals, he became Chelsea's highest ever goalscorer in Europe.
The records put Didier up alongside Chelsea's very best strikers, and although injuries and suspensions have hampered him again this season, the pedigree is still undoubted, with glimpses of his all-roiund game demonstrated against Burnley and West Brom in domestic action.
Beginning to forge a partnership with Nicolas Anelka, 2009 promised much, and in recent months Drogba has not disappointed.
Often overlooked by Luiz Felipe Scolari due to a lack of match fitness, Drogba forced his way into the side under Guus Hiddink and has been near unstoppable since. Important goals against Juventus, Coventry, Liverpool and Arsenal in cup competitions were backed up with league strikes against Portsmouth, Bolton and Fulham, as his physical style brought the likes of Florent Malouda and Anelka into the action.
Has recently said his best Chelsea times are ahead of him, and few would doubt that when he is on his game.
| Competition | Apps (as sub) | Goals | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
| League | 15 (9) | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| FA Cup | 4 (1) | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| League Cup | 2 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Euro Cups | 7 (3) | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Career History: | ||||
| Club | Season | Comp. | Apps (as sub) | Goals |
| Chelsea | 2007 - 08 | League | 17 (2) | 8 |
| FA Cup | 0 (1) | 0 | ||
| League Cup | 1 (0) | 1 | ||
| Euro Cups | 11 (0) | 6 | ||
| Chelsea | 2006 - 07 | League | 32 (4) | 20 |
| FA Cup | 6 (0) | 3 | ||
| League Cup | 3 (2) | 4 | ||
| Euro Cups | 12 (0) | 6 | ||
| Chelsea | 2005 - 06 | League | 20 (9) | 12 |
| FA Cup | 3 (0) | 1 | ||
| League Cup | 0 (1) | 0 | ||
| Euro Cups | 5 (2) | 1 | ||
| Chelsea | 2004 - 05 | League | 18 (8) | 10 |
| FA Cup | 1 (1) | 0 | ||
| League Cup | 3 (1) | 1 | ||
| Euro Cups | 8 (1) | 5 | ||
| Marseille | 2003 - 04 | League | 30 (5) | 19 |
| Euro Cups | 14 (2) | 11 | ||
| Guingamp | 2002 - 03 | League | 26 (8) | 17 |
| Guingamp | 2001 - 02 | League | 8 (2) | 3 |
Comments :
0 komentar to “ ”
Posting Komentar