Didier Drogba has announced his
retirement from international football.
The Chelsea striker scored 65 goals in 104
appearances for Ivory Coast over a 12-
year period. He played in three World
Cups.
Drogba returned to Stamford Bridge last
month, signing a one-year deal after
leaving Turkish side Galatasaray.
The 36-year-old said: "I'm proud to have
captained this team for eight years and to
have contributed to putting my country on
the world stage."
Drogba hopes his decision will help him
make a big impact on his return to the
Premier League after a two-year absence.
He has been backed by Chelsea team-
mate John Terry to reproduce the form that
saw him score 157 goals in 342 games
during his first eight-year spell at
Stamford Bridge.
Drogba added: "It's with much sadness
that I've decided to retire from international
football.
"I can't convey enough thanks to the fans
for all the love and support during these
years. All my goals, all my caps, all our
victories are for you.
"I owe much gratitude to my team-mates,
the players with whom I've shared all
these emotions and I wish them all much
success for the future."
Source:www.bbc.com/sport/football/28710057

drogba

Culled from www.wikipedia.com
Nairalanders,isnt Drogba Africa's greatest football player?click on like if so.
Personal information
Full name
Tébily Didier Yves Drogba [1]
Date of birth
11 March 1978 (age 36)
Place of birth
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) [2]
Playing position
Striker
Club information
Current team
Chelsea
Number
15
Youth career
1989–1991
Abbeville
1991–1993
Vannes
1993–1997
Levallois
1997–1998
Le Mans
Senior career*
Years
Team
Apps †
(Gls) †
1998–2002
Le Mans
64
(12)
2002–2003
Guingamp
45
(20)
2003–2004
Marseille
35
(19)
2004–2012
Chelsea
226
(100)
2012–2013
Shanghai Shenhua
11
(
2013–2014
Galatasaray
37
(15)
2014–
Chelsea
0
(0)
National team ‡
2002–2014
Ivory Coast
104
(65)
* Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 24 June 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct
as of 24 June 2014
Tébily Didier Yves Drogba (French
pronunciation: [didje dʁɔɡba] ; born 11
March 1978), known as Didier Drogba , is
an Ivorian professional footballer who
plays for Chelsea in the Premier League as
a striker , and is the all-time top scorer
and former captain of the Ivory Coast
national team . He is best known for his
career at Chelsea, for whom he scored
more goals than any other foreign player
and is currently the club's fourth highest
goal scorer of all time . In October 2012, he
was voted by Chelsea supporters as the
club's greatest ever player. [3] His key
attributes include his physical strength,
ability in the air, and his ability to retain
possession of the ball. [4]
After playing in youth teams, Drogba made
his professional debut aged 18 for Ligue 2
club Le Mans . A late bloomer , he signed
his first professional contract aged 21; it
was not until the 2002–03 season that he
realised his potential, scoring 17 goals in 34
appearances in Ligue 1 for Guingamp . He
moved to Olympique de Marseille in 2003
for £3.3 million. His scoring success at
Marseille continued, finishing as the third
highest scorer in Ligue 1 with 19 goals and
helped the club to reach the 2004 UEFA
Cup Final .
In the summer of 2004, Drogba moved to
Chelsea for a club record £24 million fee,
making him the most expensive Ivorian
player in history. In his debut season he
helped the club win their first league title
in 50 years, and a year later he won
another Premier League title . In 2006–07 ,
Drogba scored 33 goals, won the Premier
League Golden Boot and scored the
winning goals in both the League Cup and
FA Cup finals. He won the FA Cup for a
second time in 2009, scoring the equaliser
in the final , and in 2009–10 was
instrumental in Chelsea clinching their first
double , winning his second Golden Boot
and scoring the only goal in the 2010 FA
Cup Final . In March 2012, Drogba scored
his 100th Premier League goal , the first
African player to reach the milestone. [5]
He then became the only player in history
to score in four separate FA Cup finals,
when he scored in Chelsea's win over
Liverpool in the 2012 final .[6] He made his
last appearance for Chelsea in the 2012
UEFA Champions League Final , in which he
scored an 88th-minute equaliser and the
winning penalty in the deciding shoot-out
against Bayern Munich. [7]
An Ivory Coast international between 2002
and 2014, Drogba captained the national
team from 2006 until his retirement and is
the nation's all-time top goalscorer with 65
goals from 104 appearances.[8] He led the
Ivory Coast to the 2006 FIFA World Cup ,
their first appearance in the tournament,
and also scored their first goal. He later
captained the Ivory Coast at the 2010 and
2014 FIFA World Cups . An icon in Africa,
Drogba has been named African Footballer
of the Year in 2006 and 2009.[9] He was
part of the Ivory Coast teams which
reached the final of the Africa Cup of
Nations in 2006 and 2012, but were beaten
on penalties on both occasions. In October
2013, he became the first African footballer
to win the prestigious Golden Foot while
playing for Galatasaray .[10] On 8 August
2014, he retired from international football
with 65 goals in 104 appearances.