Andriy Shevchenko added to Didier Drogba's cool at Chelsea
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba learned the importance of composure on the pitch from his former teammate Andriy Shevchenko.
In 2006, Shevchenko was brought to the London club for a fee of £31million at the behest of owner Roman Abramovich.
But the former AC Milan striker failed to make a significant impact at Stamford Bridge, scoring only nine league goals in three seasons before joining returning to Milan on loan and eventually being sold to Dynamo Kyiv, another of his former clubs, in the
summer of 2009.
But Drogba, whose 90 goals in 177 league appearances for Chelsea rubbish Shevchenko's tally at the club, said he learned from the Ukrainian before he left London.
"I learned a lot from Shevchenko. He was and is still a great player," the Ivorian told
UEFA.com. "He is one of the best scorers in the Champions League. Playing with him, he was very calm. I learned to be calmer and quieter on the pitch, and wait for the ideal moment to score."
High demands on today's strikers
In recent years, teams across Europe have begun to employ only one conventional centre forward.
With a unique combination of physical power and technique — as well as an impeccable eye for goal — Drogba has been hailed as the perfect striker for the modern game.
"It's an honour to be seen as the modern centre-forward. Football has changed; you need to be quick, to repeat runs, play many games. I think fitness is the key. I've seen games in different leagues and you can see there have been changes. Strikers have
to defend, not only be scoring goals, and create goals. Now most teams play 4–3–3, the objectives of the striker have changed."
Premier League leaders Chelsea play their domestic fixture at Birmingham City on Saturday 20 November.
Tags: