Kenwyne Jones plays down similarities to Didier Drogba
Stoke City's Kenwyne Jones has said that he and Chelsea's Didier Drogba are unique players, despite widespread comparisons between the two strikers.
Jones joined Southampton in 2004, where he was converted to a striker. George Burley, who managed Southhampton between 2005 and 2008, said that Jones was another "Drogba in the making" shortly before he
left for Sunderland in 2007.
But despite sharing a commanding physical presence in attack, Jones told the
Daily Mail that he is focused more on his own development than that of his Ivorian counterpart.
"I’ve said this many times before and I’ll probably have to continue saying it: there is only one Didier Drogba and only one Kenwyne Jones. I am myself. Whether or not people make the comparisons in the
styles, that’s not for me to judge. I don’t model myself on anyone."
Strong presence necessary in the modern game
Jones and Drogba are two of many powerful strikers who have risen to prominence in European football in recent years. Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor, AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Karim Benzema
of Real Madrid also come to mind.
The Trinidadian added that a strong presence is advantageous in the increasingly physical game.
"There’s no possible way you’re not going to have the elbow in the face, a high tackle or the knee in the back. If you’re not able to rough it then you might as well just not play. Now more than ever you
have to be strong in football, you have to be fit to be able to stand up to these games because it’s much different to how it was 20 years ago."
Jones joined Stoke City during the recent transfer window, and has scored three goals in five league appearances this season. He has 43 international caps to his name, having made his Trinidad & Tobago
debut in 2003.
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