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Sports News of Wednesday, 11 March 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Happy birthday to Chelsea, Ivory Coast legend - Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba turns 42 Didier Drogba turns 42

Chelsea football club will never forget the king of goal, Didier Drogba, who will undoubtedly go down in the club and Premier League history as one of the best strikers.

The African legend marks his birthday as he clocks 42 years of age today, March 11, 2020.

He enjoyed a 20-year playing career that saw him play domestically in France, England, China, Turkey and the United States, and Chelsea.

The former Blues striker won the African Footballer of the Year awards in 2006 and 2009, as well as the BBC African Footballer of the Year in 2009.

Drogba will mostly be remembered for his goals in top ties and commitment to the Chelsea ranks having stood out as one of the clubs unofficial leaders in the latter part of his career, leading them, alongside John Terry, to their first-ever Champions League trophy.

The Ivorian spent nine years of his career at Stamford Bridge before hanging his boots in 2018 having played alongside the likes of Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Arjen Robben, Claude Makélélé, Petr Cech, John Terry and Frank Lampard, etc.

Drogba won 11 major trophies with the Blues, and two Community Shields, scoring a dramatic late equaliser and the match-winner in the resulting penalty shootout when Chelsea won the Champions League in the 2011-12 campaign. [The Standard]

He left Chelsea at the end of the 2012 season and went on to win three more trophies at Galatasaray, where he won the league, Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup.

The Ivorian returned to west London in the 2014/15 season, helping Jose Mourinho win yet another Premier League and League Cup with Chelsea.

Spells with two MLS clubs followed before Drogba eventually hung up his boots for good at the age of 40, retiring as a Chelsea and Ivory Coast legend.[GiveMeSport]

List of clubs Drogba played for during his senior professional football career:

Years Team Apps (Gls)

1998–2002 Le Mans 64 (12)

2002–2003 Guingamp 45 (20)

2003–2004 Marseille 35 (19)

2004–2012 Chelsea 226 (100)

2012–2013 Shanghai Shenhua 11 (8)

2013–2014 Galatasaray 37 (15)

2014–2015 Chelsea 28 (4)

2015–2016 Montreal Impact 33 (21)

2017–2018 Phoenix Rising 22 (14)

Total 497 (210)