According to a poll ran on our own official Facebook page, 52% of supporters believe that Wayne Rooney was a better Premier League player than Didier Drogba.
Nearly 105,000 people voted, with the former Manchester United captain edging the vote by just 4%.
Both players were a joy to watch and became key parts of their title-winning teams. Rooney lifted the Premier League trophy five times in his 13 seasons at Old Trafford, while Drogba won four titles with Chelsea in his two spells at the London club.
Some voters were quick to point out that Rooney spent much of his career in a deeper-lying role, while Drogba was always an out-and-out striker at Stamford Bridge.
One supporter who argued in favour of England’s record goalscorer said: “Rooney was obviously a more well-rounded player, and is probably slightly underrated due to who he played for. As an out and out striker, Drogba is clearly better - but that wasn't the question."
Others pointed to statistics, which show that Rooney scored 208 Premier League goals to Drogba’s 104. Rooney played in 491 matches compared to Drogba’s 254, giving them an almost identical rate of goals-per-game (0.42 and 0.41 respectively).
When analysing these statistics, the argument about Rooney’s position raises a valid point, as his goalscoring ratio slightly exceeds that of Drogba despite often playing in midfield.
Rooney’s role as a playmaker in the latter stages of his United career helped him pick up 103 assists to Drogba’s 54, once more suggesting that Rooney was a more valuable creative asset.
While many consider Rooney the better all-rounder, many who voted in GiveMeSport’s poll believe that Drogba is a better centre-forward.
His habit of scoring vital goals in Chelsea’s biggest matches also made him stand out in the eyes of some voters, though, his heroics in the 2012 Champions League final and in the FA Cup shouldn’t be a defining factor in a vote about their impact in the Premier League.
A GiveMeSport reader from the Ivory Coast weighed in on the debate, commenting: “As an Ivoirian myself I'll say Drogba is better, not because he's my compatriot, but because he's like a mini Ronaldo for the simple fact he makes any team a contender, but Rooney is more laid back [and a] better all-round player."
For his exploits from 2004 to 2012 and then his 2014-15 comeback, Drogba wrote himself into Chelsea folklore - but he will have to settle for second place in this debate.
Rooney’s impact on the Premier League will, without doubt, go down in history, with his goals for Everton and the Red Devils placing him only behind Alan Shearer in the league’s all-time goalscorers chart.