Didier Drogba Bio Send To Friend  

As good a player as he is, Drogba will always be regarded with suspicion by many for his theatrical style and regular displays of petulance.

His strong and powerful displays have made him vitally important to Chelsea's system yet his conduct has cost them on the highest stage; his sending off in Moscow in the 2008 Champions League final was reprehensible and foolish and ultimately cost his team a penalty-taker and/or goal threat.

The Ivory Coast international arrived in France in 1983, living with his uncle Michel Goba - who had also been a professional footballer in the French Second Division - and began his career as a right-back with Dunkirk, before being converted to a striker during his time with Abbeville.

After an enforced sabbatical he joined Levallois in 1994 and then opted to join less glamourous club Le Mans where he was coached by his 'spiritual father', Marc Westerloppe.

The striker was never prolific for Le Mans, and he fell out of favour after Westerloppe had been sacked and replaced by Thierry Goudet.

Guingamp came in in for the player in 2001, and in 2002-03 their faith in the player's ability was repaid with 17 goals. Drogba also won his first ever call-up into the full Ivory Coast squad.

In the summer of 2003 he was signed by Marseille for £3.3m. The player enjoyed an outstanding season, scoring five Champions League goals despite Marseille's exit in the group stage. But his form continued in the UEFA Cup, bagging a further six goals as Marseille lost out in the final to Valencia.

New Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho targeted the striker and got his man for an undisclosed fee - believed to be £24m, smashing the British record fee for a striker in the following summer.

Drogba made his debut for the club in a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on the opening day of the 2004-05 campaign and despite a slow start, he neverthless won two Premier League titles under Mourinho.

Enhacing his reputation, he really made an impact in 2006-07 when he scored 20 goals in 32 starts and scored winning goals in both the Carling Cup and FA Cup Finals of 2007, cementing his eye for the big occasion.

But injury restricted his appearances in the following seasons and despite impressing in patches, he struggled to regain fitness. Under Felipe Scolari, Drogba lost his place to Nicolas Anelka and incurred a three match ban for throwing a coin back into the stands as Chelsea suffered a League Cup defeat against Burnley in Novemeber 2008.

Yet with Scolari sacked, he enjoyed a enjoyed a rejuvenation of sorts under new man Guus Hiddink. An FA Cup win gave him more silverware, but his season was blighted by his disgraceful abuse of referee Tom Henning Øvrebø after the club's last-minute defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League - sealing his reputation as one of the most controversial players in the game.

Linked with a move away from the club, Drogba commited his future to the Blues under new coach Carlo Ancelotti.