On This Day – 2004 – Chelsea agree deal for Didier Drogba

Drogba terrorised defences and collected a bucketful of winners medals.

Didier Drogba would become of the most feared marksmen in the Premier League era, and possibly Chelsea’s finest ever striker. 12 years ago today, they agreed a deal of £24 million to sign him from Marseille, according to the Daily Telegraph, on the back of a season where he fired the French side to the UEFA Cup final, only for them to lose out on the main prize to Valencia.

It was quite a list of accolades he would achieve, both personally and for the club as a whole. During his first spell at the club he would win three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, and the Champions League. He would play a major part in every one of those honours.

In his first season he scored a total of 16 goals from 40 games, not the best return but not bad for a player who was in his first season in the country. He’d score a crucial goal in extra time of the League Cup final win over Liverpool in 2005 while just hitting double figures in the Premier League.

The second season, he would kick on a little. He started the season with both goals against Arsenal in a Community Shield win; the first two of his 16 that season in all competitions as they achieved back-to-back titles. The following term would see his stock rise considerably.

In September 2006, he scored arguably his best ever goal in a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge where he scored a remarkable volley from distance after starting with his back to goal. His importance to the side was apparent throughout the league season, although Chelsea missed out on the title. He did, however, score the winning goals in the League Cup win over Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium, and in the FA Cup win over Manchester United at extra-time at Wembley. Scoring at Wembley would become something of a habit.

He would score again in the League Cup final in 2008, but Chelsea, now managed by Avram Grant, would lose out to Tottenham, while his season would end with him being sent off in the Champions League final in Moscow as Chelsea lost out on penalties to Manchester United, the same side they lost out on the League title to as the club finished as runners-up in three competitions.

Another Wembley appearance or two the following season would see him score in both the semi-final and final of the FA Cup as Chelsea lifted the trophy under Guus Hiddink before the following season would see Drogba claim the golden boot in the Premier League as they lifted both the League and the FA Cup. Drogba would score the winner in the cup final against Portsmouth under Carlo Ancelotti’s management.

The following season would see Chelsea empty handed, and Ancelotti sacked. In the early months of the season, Drogba had been suffering from malaria. It did not stop him appearing in all but two of Chelsea’s league games that season but he only managed to find the net on 13 occasions in all competitions.

2012 would see Drogba both keep his remarkable record at Wembley going – by scoring in the semi-final against Tottenham in the FA Cup, as well as the final against Liverpool are they won the prize – and capping Chelsea’s most historic night.

The run to the Champions League final saw Drogba at his best, including a crucial goal in the first leg of the semi-final against Barcelona. He equalised in the final against Bayern Munich as the game was heading towards the closing stages, and with the match going to penalties, he was given the responsibility to make the club Champions of Europe for the first time – capping off his first spell.

He would return to Chelsea during Jose Mourinho’s second spell after the forward had a spell at Galatasaray – helping the side to both Premier League and League Cup triumph. His long list of honours, plus his 164 goals from 381 games make him a Chelsea legend.