DIDIER DROGBA
Games/Goals
Chelsea: 254/104
Premier League titles (4): 2004/05, 2005/06, 2009/10, 2014/15
Striker Didier Drogba will go down as one of the most iconic African players in Premier League history, reaching a century of goals with Chelsea, winning four league titles and twice claiming the Golden Boot prize.
He has 55 assists to go with his impressive goals tally for a total of 159 goal contributions in 254 games during a nine-season stay at Stamford Bridge, where his powerful forward displays made him a cult hero with the fans.
Drogba was something of a late bloomer and was already 26 years old when he signed for The Blues from Marseille, having scored 19 goals in 35 games in the 2003/04 Ligue 1 season.
His fee of £24-million was viewed as quite hefty in those days and despite a maiden goal for the club in his third game against Crystal Palace, his first campaign ended with the league title but only 10 Premier League goals.
He scored 20 times in the league in 2006/07 to win the Golden Boot ahead of Blackburn Rovers’ Benni McCarthy, but his best season was 2009/10 when he netted 29 times in 32 games as Chelsea romped to the league title once more.
He left for spells in Turkey and China but returned for one last season in 2014/15 that yielded another championship win, but only four goals. He exited the club for Major League Soccer after that.
Drogba’s charisma and fighting spirit made him a hugely popular figure at the club, where he also won four FA Cup titles and the UEFA Champions League.
He still holds numerous Chelsea records for most goals scored by a non-English player (all competitions) of 164, most cup final goals (9), most goals in European competition (36) and most Premier League goals in a season (29).