Sunday 29 November 2015 14:52, UK
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba was the very special guest on Goals on Sunday this week.
In the week he released his autobiography 'Commitment', he joined Ben Shephard and Chris Kamara to debate some of the big names in the Premier League and reflect on some of his career highlights.
Read on for a snapshot of his views on Jose Mourinho, Diego Costa, Romelu Lukaku and more - and head to the On Demand section of your Sky Box to catch up with the interview.
DROGBA ON… CHELSEA'S STRUGGLES
Drogba left Chelsea as champions in the summer and is struggling to explain why they are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League…
"It's two different times. When I [first] came there were already big players like Frank, JT, Makelele, William Gallas. At that time we were 24 or 25-plus so more mature or experienced. It was easy to push a team like that to get the best out of the team. This year is different for Mourinho; the team is younger and you need to adapt and change the way you speak to the players because they respond in a different way. He did it very well last year. This year is more difficult but I think he's going to find a way to do it.
"Why the poor form? It's difficult for me to tell. I've only been out of the club for a few months now. It's difficult for the club, but this club will not stay in this situation for a long time. This season is a difficult one, but next season I am sure they will come back."
DROGBA ON… JOSE MOURINHO
Drogba has been signed by Jose Mourinho for Chelsea on two occasions - and said he showed him plenty of support on his return last year…
"Everyone knows he is someone I respect a lot because he changed not only my life, but my family life. I'm from Africa and when you are the eldest you take care of the whole family and he allowed me to give hope to my family. He put his trust in me and I think I did everything to make sure he got it back.
"Last year when I was on the bench I was coming in and he was saying to me 'you've got 10 minutes, score a goal man.' He'd say: 'Steve Bruce saw you coming in and said 'oh no, not him again'. He said to him 'don't worry, he only scores in big games!'
DROGBA ON… DIEGO COSTA
Drogba played a support role to main striker Diego Costa last season, but the Spain international has struggled for goals this term...
"I hope for him that it's going to be the same path as me. My second season was difficult as I had a lot of injuries. I was not really adapting to the Premier League. I was playing and nobody really knew that I was injured so it was very difficult for me mentally. Diego had a fantastic first season and it can happen. You have a good season and the second one is a bit more difficult. The pressure is more difficult because of the situation where the club is in the Premier League.
"His game is to provoke and it's part of the game but there's a limit between provocation and going too far. He knows that and that's why he sometimes stops. During a game things happen. I've been there before and many players have. By doing that you lose focus and I have learned how to make these moments very short and then get back on the game and focus on scoring goals."
DROGBA ON… LIFE IN THE MLS
Drogba has been playing for Montreal Impact since leaving Chelsea last summer and says he is enjoying life, if not always the travelling…
"It was a good experience for me. I scored a lot of goals, 12, and I was really enjoying my football there. It's good to be back playing regularly. It's nice. The standard is improving a lot. The problem is there's a lot of travelling and the distances are really difficult to handle, but the football is good. It's a good level.
"When you go there you expect the league to be easy but the players are tough, there's different difficulties like the travelling. You travel a commercial flight, then you have a connection, then your plane is delayed and you have to wait three or four hours at the airport to get the other plane."
DROGBA ON… ON ROMELU LUKAKU
Drogba saw Romelu Lukaku come through the ranks at Chelsea, but says he has shown great improvement and is thriving at Everton…
"He's very strong. He has been working a lot to improve that and to make sure that his strength and technique can work together in this league. I remember he technically had a lot to work on when he first signed at Chelsea. He has got his reward for that. I texted him a few weeks ago when he gave a pass to Arouna Kone with his left foot and told him 'the day you do that with your right foot…'.
"He is scoring goals with his left foot, right foot head. I told him he is on the way to becoming one of the greatest in this league. He is an athlete. I'm not surprised [Chelsea let him go] because Chelsea is very competitive and for him to play and get the confidence he has now he had to go and play for a team like Everton where they play a lot for the striker. Even if you don't play well in one game you will still play in the second one. At Chelsea it was very difficult; if you don't perform you are dropped.
DROGBA ON… SERGIO AGUERO
Sergio Aguero has been playing for one of Chelsea's biggest rivals in Manchester City, but that doesn't mean Drogba doesn't have respect for the Argentina forward…
"I think he's among the best players and the best strikers of this league. He proves year after year that he's always there. He has the determination and desire to score goals. He is a top striker. When he is not playing you can see the difference at Manchester City."
DROGBA ON… JAMIE VARDY
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is the hottest property in the Premier League right now. He was still a non-league player aged 25 and Drogba, who got his first professional deal aged 21, understands his hunger…
"I did not know much about him, I have to say, but this year from the beginning of the season I saw him scoring some nice goals and I started to follow a little bit what he was doing.
"I was more hungry and I am still and I think that's the case for him as well. You've got this desire to win and everything is new for you. You play against big teams and it's a new experience and you know you are going to get better with years so you embrace it and make the most of it."
DROGBA ON… PLAYING ARSENAL
Drogba scored 13 goals in 15 appearances against Arsenal - and says he was inspired to do well against them because he followed them as a youngster…
"As a young kid growing up in France, the team that everyone was supporting was Arsenal because of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord and Arsene Wenger as well. They were showing a lot of Arsenal games and I was a fan, at that time, of the team.
"Coming to England and playing against one of my idols like Thierry Henry was kind of a challenge and I did everything to play well against them. The more I played well, the more Arsene Wenger was saying 'he didn't do much during the game' so it became another challenge for me to score and show maybe I'm not doing much, but I'm winning."
DROGBA ON… WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Drogba was sent off when Chelsea lost the 2008 final to Manchester United, but insists scoring the equaliser and winning penalty against Bayern Munich in 2012 felt like his destiny…
"As a football player you dream of these kind of games. The one in Moscow I was stressed out. I couldn't sleep for different reasons, but the way I prepared I know there was no chance I would win it. I got sent off, it was my first Champions League final, I had some family drama on the side as well so the conditions were not there for me to win it.
"In Munich, everything was different. In my head I kind of knew it was my last game for the club. I had the feeling I had done everything for the club. I needed the luck, but at the same time I was relaxed because I knew it was my last one."
