Didier Drogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the 10 best signings of Jose Mourinho’s trophy-laden career so far – ranked
By his own admission, Didier Drogba fell short of expectations in his first season at Chelsea, mustering only 10 Premier League goals, which made him consider returning to Marseille ahead of the 2005-06 season. However, Mourinho knew how much potential Drogba had, and successfully talked him out of it.
“He said ‘if you want to be the only king then go back to the team where you were playing before and score 100 goals’,” Drogba told The Sun in 2018. “‘But here at Chelsea there are 22 kings, so you have to accept that and work together. Or you go’.” Those words gave Drogba the motivation to go on and become an all-time Premier League legend.
Over the next two seasons, Drogba scored 49 goals in all competitions, winning the first of his two Premier League Golden Boots in the process. He was absolutely unstoppable in full flow, combining frightening power and exceptional first-touch control to strike fear into any opponent, and lived for the biggest stage.
Drogba left Chelsea in 2012, after heading home an unforgettable equaliser in their Champions League final win over Bayern, but Mourinho brought him back at the age of 36 two years later. Despite playing second fiddle to Costa, Drogba bagged seven important goals in 40 appearances en route to his fourth Premier League winners’ medal, prompting Mourinho to label him “the best-value Chelsea player ever”.
