“He is a winner and he will be like that until the end of his life.”
That’s some high praise, especially from one of the greatest managers the Premier League has seen. Even more so as by right, their allegiances make them sworn enemies. But then again greatness cannot be ignored. Not even by Arsene Wenger.
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To characterise Didier Drogba’s style is to speak of him in stark contrast to Wenger’s own star man. If Henry was the epitome of style and sleek in the new millennium, Drogba was cut from a cloth that better suited the grit and grind of the 90’s. He was a player that made his own mould. Strong yet agile. Imposing yet gifted.
Jose Mourinho has said that Drogba was a player that always faced difficult moments. He’d stretch himself to the limit for his team. Fans gravitate towards big game players, someone who can get you a win when it’s needed most will always win the plaudits. But players who play for the badge on their shirt and think of nothing else. Those are the ones that live in the memory far past anything else.
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In Didier, Chelsea fans found a player who truly played for them. He understood the part he played in their ambition, and took the weight of their emotions as his own. Game after game, it was more than a striker knowing his role, as every striker must. A goal to win the game is part of the job description. He played for something more. It wasn’t a goal bonus, or a share of the winnings. It was to give the fans of Chelsea the glory, that in his mind, they so rightly deserved.
Abidjan in Côte D'ivoire, Drogba’s hometown, is as far removed from the Fulham Road as one could ever conceive. But in this slice of West London, he found a spirit that set fire to his own.
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“Always in our hearts”, the banner reads at Stamford Bridge. From Abidjan to the Allianz. Didier will forever be remembered as a great in West London.
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