DIDIER DROGBA
Didier Yves Drogba Tbily (French pronunciation: [didje dba]; born 11 March 1978) is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position !e currently plays for "helsea in the #re$ier %ea&ue and is the captain and all'ti$e top scorer of the "(te d)Ivoire national football tea$ !e has scored $ore &oals for "helsea than any other forei&n player and is currently "helsea)s *th hi&hest &oal scorer of all ti$e +fter playin& in youth tea$s, -ro&ba $ade his professional debut a&ed 18 for %i&ue . club %e Mans + late bloo$er, he si&ned his first professional contract a&ed .1; it was not until the .//.0/1 season that he reali2ed his potential, scorin& 17 &oals in 13 appearances in%i&ue 1 for 4uin&a$p -urin& the sa$e season he $ade his first international appearance for "(te d)Ivoire, in 5epte$ber, and scored his first international &oal the followin& February !e $oved to 6ly$pi7ue de Marseille in .//1 for 81 1 $illion !is scorin& success at 6ly$pi7ue de Marseille continued, finishin& as the third hi&hest scorer in %i&ue 1 with 19 &oals and helped the club to reach the .//3 9:F+ "up Final -ro&ba $oved to "helsea the followin& season for a record brea;in& fee of 8.3 $illion, $a;in& hi$ the $ost e<pensive "(te d)Ivoire player in history In addition, he scored decisive &oals in the .//= Football %ea&ue "up Final and in the .//= F+ "o$$unity 5hield and helped the club win their first ever #re$ier %ea&ue title -ro&ba ca$e to pro$inence as one of the world)s fore$ost stri;ers in .//* as he won thelea&ue title with "helsea a&ain and captained the national tea$ for the first ti$e In the .//* >orld "up he scored "(te d)Ivoire)s first ever &oal of the co$petition and he was chosen as the .//* +frican Footballer of the ?ear @he ne<t season he finished as top scorer in the.//*0/7 #re$ier %ea&ue with ./ &oals and also scored the winnin& &oals in the .//7 Football %ea&ue "up Final and F+ "up Finals !e won the F+ "up for the second ti$e in .//9, scorin& the e7uali2er in the final In the .//901/ season -ro&ba proved instru$ental in "helsea winnin& their first double in the club)s history !e won his second 4olden Aoot with .9 &oals
, and scored the only &oal in "helsea)s victory over #orts$outh in the ./1/ F+ "up Final @his &oal $a;es hi$ the only player to score in * :n&lish "up finals
:arly life
-idier -ro&ba was born in +bidBan, "(te d)Ivoire, and at the a&e of five was sent to France by his parents to live with his uncle, Michel 4oba, a professional footballer !owever, -ro&ba soon beca$e ho$esic; and returned to +bidBan after three years !is $other nic;na$ed hi$ C@itoC, after president Dosip Aro2 @ito of ?u&oslavia, who$ she ad$ired &reatly !e played football every day in a car par; in the city but his return to "(te d)Ivoire was short lived Aoth of his parents lost their Bobs and he a&ain returned to live with his uncle In 1991, his parents also traveled to France; first to Eannes and then settlin& in 1991 at +ntony in the #aris suburbs, at which point the 1='year'old -ro&ba returned to live with the$ and his siblin&s It was here that he be&an playin& tea$ football $ore fre7uently, Boinin& a local youth side -ro&ba be&an his career as a Bunior player at the se$i'professional club %evallois, &ainin& a reputation as a prolific scorer in the youth tea$ and i$pressin& the coach with his professional attitude !is perfor$ances earned hi$ a place in the senior s7uad but despite scorin& in his debut, the 18' year'old Ivorian failed to $a;e an i$pression on Dac7ues %oncar, the first tea$ coach
