Didier Drogba has revealed that he almost left Chelsea in 2006, just two years after arriving at Stamford Bridge from Marseille, but was stopped by a text message from teammate Frank Lampard.
Drogba wanted to leave Chelsea because he was sick of being labelled a cheat - per the Guardian - and was linked with a move to Serie A.
However, one text message from Lampard changed Drogba’s mind - and subsequently the history of Chelsea Football Club.
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“The guy who single-handedly convinced me to stay was Frank Lampard,” Drogba admits in his new autobiography ‘Commitment’, according to Goal.
Drogba then revealed the exact wording of the text message Lampard sent him: “Hi DD, I hope that you're staying, because we have to win the league together, and we have to win the Champions League together!”
Crucial for Chelsea that Drogba stayed
Drogba and Lampard did just that, lifting the Premier League trophy again 2010, before winning the Champions League in 2012.
It’s safe to say that Chelsea would not have won either trophy in those years without the legendary Ivory Coast international.
Drogba scored 29 Premier League goals in 32 appearances during the 2009-10 campaign and rescued Chelsea in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich with a last-gasp header - arguably the most important goal in the club’s entire history.
Not only that but he also scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out.
Drogba is now regarded by the fans as a bonafide Chelsea legend while the £24 million the club paid Marseille was, in retrospect, a bargain for the west London outfit.
Is Didier Drogba an even bigger Chelsea legend than Frank Lampard? Have your say by leaving a comment in the box below!
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