Didier Drogba

Top Drog

Porto's Pepe (L) fights for the ball with Chelsea's Didier Drogba during their Champions League football match 29 September, 2004 at Stamford Bridge in London. AFP PHOTO/NICOLAS ASFOURI

Powerful, swift and blessed with a gift for losing defenders with his trademark drag back, Chelsea's Didier Drogba is a dominating and colourful striker.

The career of the man from Abidjan has been the stuff of fairy tales since making a modest professional debut with French second division side Le Mans, moving up a gear at Britanny-side Guingamp in 2001, where he started to raise eyebrows with his dynamic play and eye for goal.

The sun began to shine in full brightness when he moved to Marseille for one magical season where he won the French player of the year award before Chelsea broke the bank to bring the Cote d'Ivoire icon to Stamford Bridge in 2004.

Drogba Didier jubilates at the door of the presidential plane at Felix Houphouet Boigny airport 09 October 2005, arriving with the victorious Ivorian national team at Abidjan after Ivory Coast qualified for the CAN-MONDIALE 2006 world football championship. PHOTO AFP/KAMPBEL.

There seems to be no stopping Drogba who capped a remarkable rise in 2005 when he helped his country qualify for their first ever World Cup, and confirmed his status as not only an ambassador for his country but a legend in his homeland.

He hit 9 goals in 10 qualifying matches and is now a cult figure in the Cote d'Ivoire where they have even named a beer after him.

Love affair with Marseille

Sent to France at the age of 5 to be close to his uncle Michel Goba who was a professional at Brest, the young Didier was quickly introduced to the world of football.

In just his second season with Guingamp, he banged home 17 goals to become the most coveted centre-forward in France.

Marseille's forward Didier Drogba jubilates after scoring a goal during the Champions League soccer match opposing Olympique de Marseille to Partizan Belgrade, 01 October 2003 at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille. Marseille won 3-0. AFP PHOTO GERARD JULIEN

Liverpool's Norvegian defender John Riise (R) vies with Marseille's Ivorian forward Didier Drogba (L) during their UEFA Cup second leg football match , 25 march 2004 at Velodrome stadium in Marseille. AFP PHOTO GERARD JULIEN

Despite the persistence of champions Lyon, Drogba opted to sign with Marseille in 2003 and swiftly became the darling of the Velodrome faithfuls despite just one prolific 29-goal season (11 of them in Europe) with the club that were losing finalists to Valencia in the UEFA Cup that season.

Prior to that Drogba had opened the scores in ties against Real Madrid away and against a certain Jose Mourinho's Porto in France during the 2003-2004 Champions League group phase. Each of those goals saw Drogba escape the defence in the penalty area with his drag back.

Chelsea's forwrad Didier Drogba speaks with coach Jose Mourinho after a training session, 13 September 2004 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, on the eve of their Champions League group H soccer match against Paris-Saint-German. AFP PHOTO FRANCK FIFE

But Drogba's rise had not escaped Mourinho and when Roman Abramovich weighed in with his fortune, Marseille reluctantly sold them the striker for 33 million euros, the Portuguese coach's first major signing in London.

He had an average first season but Mourinho kept faith with him as Chelsea won their first English title in 50 years and added the League Cup, a match in which Drogba scored in extra-time to help defeat Liverpool.

The 2005-2006 season has seen Drogba again rise to great heights and it will be fascinating to see him on the world stage in Germany.