Jose Mourinho insists there is more to come from Didier Drogba at Chelsea as the striker says he wants to stay at the club beyond the end of the season.
Mourinho led the tributes to Drogba as he was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the game by the Football Writers’ Association here Sunday, reports dailymail.co.uk.
Mourinho hailed Drogba, who first joined Chelsea for 24 million pounds in 2004, as the club’s “best value player ever” and insisted the 36-year-old is “not finished yet”.
“I came to Chelsea in the summer of 2004 and in my first written report to Mr (Roman) Abramovich (owner) in relation to my plans for the club, I gave the names of some players,” Mourinho said.
“Big names were arriving at Chelsea in that period. The previous summer, for example, Claude Makelele came from Real Madrid and Hernan Crespo came from Inter, among others, but Didier was unknown and the price was very, very high,” the Chelsea manager added.
“Yet I knew as clearly as I have ever done that he was the player I wanted. I was very strong to persuade my club to pay such an amount for him and we can already say he was the best-value signing for Chelsea in relation to what he has done for the club over so many years, and he is not finished yet.”
Drogba followed the likes of Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham by picking up the prestigious award.
“When you have achieved so much and won so many trophies like we have done in the past 10 years, that creates something special. I hope, and the club makes me believe, I am part of this big family, so we are going to find the best thing for both of us to promote the club in the best way,” Drogba said.
“When I left this club (the first time in 2012), I was saying that I had done everything I wanted to do, but I think now that I did not do everything, I think there is more to do. I love this club and would love to be part of this club for the future, with the new players.”
