Roeder reveals Drog bid
Glenn Roeder has revealed that he came close to signing Didier Drogba at West Ham.
Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has revealed that he came close to signing Didier Drogba during his time at West HamThe Ivory Coast international is currently the Premiership's top scorer and has been in exceptional form with Chelsea so far this season.
The Blues picked Drogba up for £24million from Marseille in 2004, but his career path could have been markedly different had West Ham avoided relegation 12 months previously.
Roeder has explained that the London side were close to luring Drogba away from Guingamp, before their relegation in 2003 saw him opt to join Marseille instead.
"[European scout] Paul [Montgomery] was convinced Didier would make it in England," Roeder told The Sun.
"We checked him out three or four times and also watched him on tapes and everything we saw suggested he had the potential to score goals in the Premiership.
"I have to say that the Drogba you see now is much more the finished article than he was then, but he had that special something you look for in a striker.
"Nobody else in England seemed to be on to him and he would only have cost £1million, but in the end we weren't able to make it happen."
Roeder faces Chelsea with his current club Newcastle in the Carling Cup quarter-final on Wednesday night, with the game from St James' Park live on Sky Sports 1.
