Sky Sports looks back at the career of the Ivory Coast international as he bids farewell to Chelsea.
We look back at the career of the Ivory Coast international
Sky Sports looks back at the career of the Ivory Coast international as he bids farewell to Chelsea.
1978: March 11 - Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
1998: Begins his professional career playing for Le Mans, where he scores 12 league goals in 68 appearances for the French Ligue 2 club.
2002: January - Signs for Guingamp, where he makes his name by scoring 17 goals in a season, finishing as third-highest goalscorer.
2003: June - Transfers to Marseille from the Brittany club for £4million. In the following season, he scores 19 goals in Ligue 1 and 11 goals in Europe to help his team to the UEFA Cup final, knocking out Liverpool and Newcastle on the way.
2004: May - Voted Footballer of the Year in France.
July - Marseille turn down Chelsea's initial offer of £18m for the Ivory Coast striker and demand £27million.
July 19 - Chelsea agree terms with Marseille over the £24m signing of Drogba and the deal is completed a day later.
2005: May - Finishes the season with 16 goals as the Blues win the Premier League and League Cup.
2006: February - Captains the Ivory Coast to their second African Nations Cup final, but sees his spot-kick saved as they lose 4-2 on penalties to Egypt following a goalless draw.
March 25 - Causes controversy when he admits "sometimes I dive" after a 2-0 win over Manchester City. He immediately retracts the statement.
May - Chelsea retain the league title as Drogba again scores 16 times during the campaign.
June 11 - Scores the Ivory Coast's first ever World Cup goal in 2-1 loss to Argentina.
2007: March - Crowned African Footballer of the Year.
May 19 - Scores an extra-time winner as Chelsea beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final. It caps a season in which he finds the net 33 times and claims the Premier League's golden boot.
2008: April 30 - Drogba scores twice in the semi-final second leg to send Chelsea through to their first Champions League final.He becomes their top European scorer of all time.
May 21 - Sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic as Chelsea lose the Champions League final on penalties to Manchester United.
October 20 - FA investigate a claim in his autobiography that he wished he'd punched Nemanja Vidic in the Champions League final. Three days later he is cleared.
November 12 - Drogba appears to make a one-fingered gesture and then throw a coin picked up off the pitch into the crowd after scoring against Burnley in the League Cup at Stamford Bridge.
November 14 - FA charge him with violent conduct as a result of the incident and he is banned for three matches.
2009: May 6 - Drogba confronts referee Tom Henning Ovrebo over decisions in Chelsea's exit from the Champions League against Barcelona. He appears to mouth "it's a f*****g disgrace" down a TV camera lens.
May 30 - Scores the equaliser as Chelsea come from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in the FA Cup final.
June 17 - Handed a six-game European ban with the final two games suspended. The ban was reduced by one match on appeal.
September 26 - Scores 100th goal for Chelsea in 3-1 defeat at Wigan
2010: March - Named African Footballer of the Year for the second time.
March 12 - Sent-off as Chelsea crash out of the Champions League 1-0 to Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge, 3-1 on
