DROGBA: The best £24m Abramovich has ever spent! - My tribute.

What is there to say about Didier Drogba!?. It's weird because when the rumours broke yesterday that he had decided to leave, I asked you the fans for your views on it simply because I wanted to hear from you what you thought about the man. I guess in a way, because there was no direct communication from Drogba himself and when there was he denied the rumour, I didn't have to write what I am writing now.

Today the main himself has confirmed he is leaving and although my head is telling me "It's is the right time and what better way to sign off from Chelsea", my heart is telling me something different. Why is that?.

Drogba said:

'I wanted to put an end to all the speculation and confirm that I am leaving Chelsea. It has been a very difficult decision for me to make and I am very proud of what we have achieved but the time is right for a new challenge for me.

As a team we have accomplished so much and have won every single trophy possible. Saturday was a very special moment for everyone at the club and for all the fans, and I am very proud to have played my part in bringing many trophies to this club, which has been my home for the last eight years.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the club especially Roman and my team-mates, many of whom have become very close friends and will be my friends for life. I would also like to say a very special thank you to the Chelsea fans who have shown me so much love and support over the years.

I wish the club all the best and continued success for the future - you will always be in my heart.'

(Source)

There is a saying in football and it's totally true, that footballers and managers come and go but there will always be the football club left there standing. Of the majority of footballers we have seen through the years at our club, we wouldn't feel the same reaction we have ever since it's been officially confirmed he is leaving. That's just because it's Didier Drogba.

Now I am the first to hold my hands up and admit that at times throughout his Chelsea career he has either frustrated or annoyed the life out of me. I am sure plenty of you have been the same with him and it has been difficult to get used to or understand.

In the beginning with all his diving about he was rightly booed by his own supporters to which he admits "they were right!" because as he has said in his Chelsea TV interview, it was hard to get used to being a Chelsea player.

There has been times recently when we have called to question what he has been doing. I think it was last season against Marseille, with reports that they wanted to resign him, he spent most of the game walking about without even trying and seemed more interested in taking the applause from the fans there.

There has been Moscow when he was sent off and even this season against QPR. Bearing in mind we were already down to ten men, he made a stupid reckless tackle and got himself sent off.

This is what I mean about Drogba and why I am saying he has at times been frustrating, it's because we all know just how good he can be and has been. So when he does that, you can really get annoyed with it.

I have to say that compared to what he has given us in eight glorious years, it's nothing compared to how much we love him, adore him in fact, respect him and admire the man who, despite criticism from all sides of the media and supporters, has taken us to a level we could only ever dream of.

I featured a post about Drogba last Saturday morning just hours before the Champions League final, taking quote from the likes of Eddie Newton, John Terry and Jaime Carragher about the "Unplayable" Didier Drogba and asked him to give us one more moment. He delivered yet again.

You Chelsea fans no doubt, would have taken a barrage of abuse from jealous football supporters in the two days at work this week so far because of how we played compared to Bayern and that we didn't deserve the win.

But, if there was ever a game of football that summed up Didier Drogba, his time at this club and the emotions we have gone through in all those years it was last Saturday in Munich.

For the most part he is ineffective, then he scores from ONE CHANCE, gives away a stupid penalty but then scores the winner to give us the trophy finally. I know people have been saying it ever since, but you really couldn't script it could you?!.

That's Didier Drogba and that's why we have loved him all this time, and will continue to do so. On his day, there is simply no one better in the world and I don't care what anyone says.

Didier Drogba has it all. Power, pace, strength, his aerial ability, the fact he is two footed gives him the advantage over others around him. Look around the Premier League now and tell me someone else who is the same? You would be hard pushed believe me.

I don't like saying that it's the end of an era, but it really is. The Premier League, Champions League, FA CUP and English football in general will be worse off now he has gone.

It is going to take all of us a while to get used to it. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes as I am writing this because although I know it's the right thing to do, I love the man and will miss him terribly.

The word "Legend" is really banded about these days far too often in my book and should be held back for people that really deserve to be called it.

With 157 goals in 341 appearances, 3 Premier League titles, 4 FA CUPs, 2 League Cups and now the Champions League, Didier Drogba IS a Legend.

It's the fact that Drogba was really the main man when it came to the big, big games for our club that is also truly incredible. 9 Cup Finals and he has scored in all of them. His header against Bayern Munich is literally, one of the best headers you will EVER see!.

From the moment his departure was announced and confirmed, he crossed over from being a player to being an instant Legend and will always be remembered here for being a part of history at this club.

No one can or will ever, underestimate exactly what he has helped us achieve. He called it his "mission" to win the Champions League for our club, his team mates and the supporters and we will never ever forget that night, ever!.

Maybe in time as the core of the squad that has been together for 6-8 years now eventually leave the club, we will only then be able to immortalise each of them and Drogba is no different. It will only be after a period of time that people will look back at just how much of an impact Drogba had on Chelsea and English football.

So it's a fond farewell to the "main man" at our club who has seen off the likes of Gudjohnsen, Kezman, Crespo, Shevchenko, Anelka and for the most part, Fernando Torres. They have all come to this club to give him some competition for his place in the side and not a single one of them has managed to live with him. No disrespect to Fernando Torres of course, but his time will come now.

Thank you Didier Drogba from the bottom of my heart for everything you have given to our club, to the shirt and for us the Chelsea supporters. You have given us all days and nights that we will never ever forget winning trophies year after year.

Thank you for learning the Chelsea way and passing on the importance of it to the others. Thank you for caring for our club the way you have done, giving it everything to achieve our dreams and encouraging others to do the same.

I truly hope you find happiness in your next challenge and would love to see you back here working with the squad when you finish playing.

I read about it somewhere over the last 24 hours and it's so, so true.

Signing Didier Drogba is THE BEST £24m Roman Abramovich has ever spent!.

Didier Drogba, Chelsea Legend!.



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