Didier Drogba professional footballer

Didier Drogba

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (French pronunciation: [didje dʁɔɡba]; born 11 March 1978) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Ivory Coast national football team. He has scored more goals for Chelsea than any other foreign player and is currently Chelsea's 7th highest goal scorer of all time.

After playing in youth teams, Drogba made his professional debut aged 18 for Ligue 2 club Le Mans. A late bloomer, he signed his first professional contract aged 21 but it was not until the 2002–03 season that he realised his potential, scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances in Ligue 1 for Guingamp. During the same season he made his first international appearance for Ivory Coast in September and scored his first international goal the following February. He moved to Olympique de Marseille in 2003 for £3.3 million and his prolific ways continued, finishing as the third highest scorer in the league with 19 goals and making it to the 2004 UEFA Cup Final.

Drogba moved to Chelsea the following season for a record breaking fee of £24 million, making him the most expensive Ivory Coast player in history. In addition, Drogba scored decisive goals in the 2005 FA Community Shield and League Cup Final and helped the club win their first ever Premier League title. Drogba came to prominence as one of the world's foremost strikers in 2006 as he won the league title with Chelsea again and captained the national team for the first time. In the 2006 World Cup he scored Ivory Coast's first ever goal of the competition and he was chosen as the 2006 African Footballer of the Year. The next season he finished as top scorer in the 2006–07 Premier League with 20 goals and also scored the winning goals in the 2007 League Cup and FA Cup finals.

Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba

Personal information
Full name	Didier Yves Drogba Tébily
Date of birth	11 March 1978 (1978-03-11) (age 32)
Place of birth	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	11
Youth career
1996–1997	Levallois
1997–1998	Le Mans
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–2002	Le Mans	64	(12)
2002–2003	Guingamp	45	(20)
2003–2004	Marseille	35	(19)
2004–	Chelsea	166	(84)
Total		310	(135)
National team‡
2002–	Ivory Coast	66	(43)

Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba, ‘Drogs’ to some, is a very impressive striker for the Chelsea team. Him and team mate Michael Essien have been the duo to watch as they play in the Barclay Premier League. He scored 20 goals in 2006 and was second to Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the voting for the PFA Player of the Year award.

Drogba was born in the Ivory Coast and arrived in French football in 1983. His uncle, Michel Goba had also been a professional footballer in the French Second Division. His career began with Dunkirk as a right-back. He went on to play as a striker with Abbeville beore joining Vannes at the age of 15.

Dogged by setbacks and a somewhat unglorious career, he finally got a chance to shine in 2001. He was also called into the full Ivory Coast squad that year.

In the summer of 2003 he was signed by Marseille for £3.3million. The player enjoyed an outstanding season in the south of France, scoring five Champions League goals despite Marseille’s exit in the group stage. In Ligue 1 Drogba played so well that he was named the Footballer of the Year in France.

He now had the attention of the bigger European clubs and was signed for a rumored £24 millionby Chelsea. Drogba has won several medals and two Premiership titles. He signed a 4 year deal with Chelsea in 2006 and was crowned Ivorian Player of the Year in 2007, beating opposition from such players as Lille’s Kader Keita, Lens’ Aruna Dindane, and Arsenal’s Kolo Toure.

Chelsea must really love Drogba because they had no comments on his DVD where he was taped saying that, “I was disgusted. I realised that signing for Chelsea was disgusting. It’s hard to explain.

“It’s hard to understand because most of all, people see the financial side, or even the sporting side. But I simply wasn’t happy.”

I guess when you are a phenomenal player it is easy to forgive your sins. Drogba is now back from an injury that had him sidelined for a while and will be making news in 2008.