File picture of Chelsea fans unfolding a banner of Galatasaray’s Didier Drogba during a Champions League match between Chelsea and Galatasaray at Stamford Bridge.
When Didier Drogba swept his penalty kick past Manuel Neuer to win the Champions League for Chelsea in 2012, Blues fans were sure it would be his last kick of a ball for the west London club.
Now, just two years later, the Ivorian striker looks set for a return to Stamford Bridge and the place he called home for eight years.
As a free agent, club legend and inspiring figure, signing Drogba for a final fling seems to tick all the right boxes for Jose Mourinho, but will the veteran actually get a look in this season? And has he still got what it takes to rip through Premier League defences?
The 36-year-old is far from a spent force, but there’s no doubt that he won’t be able to bully defenders and grab headlines in quite the same way as during Mourinho’s previous spell in charge.
Drogba may have looked like his younger self during games against weaker opposition while playing for Galatasaray last season, but his poor performances against Chelsea in the Champions League prove that he may no longer be able to affect the big games.
By coming back to west London, Drogba does run the risk of tarnishing one of football’s greatest fairy-tales in almost single-handedly inspiring a team to their first ever Champions League, but even at 36, surely Chelsea fans would look to Drogba rather than their forlorn striker Fernando Torres should the pair warm the bench together.
Last season’s star of La Liga, Diego Costa, will be the man trying to fill the void left by Drogba in 2012 and the former Atletico Madrid man will be Chelsea’s main striker with a £32million price-tag and string of failed Chelsea strikers looming in his subconscious.
Personality & Power
Drogba’s role for the new Premier League season, should he finalise the move to Chelsea, would be one of support, personality and power.
You can see it now, Costa bullies opponent’s into submission for 70 minutes before being replaced by the man mountian that is Drogba just when they though it was safe.
And that kind of impact, putting that fear into rivals may be all Mourinho wants from his trusted lieutenant.
The likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry speak glowlingly about the Chelsea legend and recall his influence in the dressing room as one of the driving forces behind their team’s success since 2004.
In eight years at Chelsea, Drogba helped the Blues to 10 trophies, including three Premier League titles and his experience in a young Chelsea squad will be huge.
Chelsea have lost Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard in recent weeks, two Chelsea stalwarts that will leave a hole in the club’s dressing room.
Mourinho is clearly keen to regain some of the winning mentality and experience that the club have lost the summer.
In his pomp, Drogba was the epitome of a ‘big game’ player, scoring a total of nine goals in nine cup final appearances for the Blues.
There’s no doubt that the forward will add to his 157 goal tally for Chelsea, but just how much chance he will get to relive his glory days is yet to be seen.
He may not be the star of Stamford Bridge next season, but Drogba still has a part to play.
