Chelsea and Cote d'Ivoire legend Didier Drogba announced his retirement on Wednesday, November 21 2018, ending his 20-year career.
The 40-year-old, who has been playing in the United States for Phoenix, had two spells at Chelsea, where he netted 164 goals in 381 appearances. He won Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 2012 Champions League, while he is also Ivory Coast's all-time record goalscorer with 65.
"When I think of the last 20 years of my professional career, looking at this picture can't make me more proud of what I have achieved as a player but most importantly how this journey has shaped me as man,"Â Drogba wrote on Twitter, while including a photo of him playing as a boy.
Career
It all began at French side Le Mans in 1998, though he didn't play topflight football until he was 23 when he joined Guingamp in 2002. A year later, he joined Olympique de Marseille and in 2004 he switched to Chelsea where he became the attacking focal point for the Blues under Jose Mourinho. He helped the club to win their first top-flight English title in 50 years.Â
At Chelsea, he won three Premier League titles during his first eight years as well as four FA Cup and two League Cups. He had spells in China and Turkey before returning to Chelsea where he won a fourth Premier League title and a third League Cup, leaving the club as their fourth highest scorer of all time.
Drogba played two seasons with MLS club Montreal Impact, leading the Canadian side to the Eastern Conference finals in 2015.
Read also: Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole announces retirement
Drogba spent the last two seasons with the Phoenix Rising of the USL Championship, a club that he co-owns.
Internationally, Drogba was capped 104 times by Cote d'Ivoire, playing in the nation's first World Cup in 2006 and again in 2010 and 2014. He also appeared at four African Cup of Nations tournaments for Les Elephants and was voted African footballer of the year twice.