Didier, it's been emotional!

Enigmatic, powerful, dramatic, frustrating, graceful and brilliant. Pretty much any adjective that you will find In the Oxford dictionary could describe outgoing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. An irresistible force yet also an immovable object, and as we all know, part time drama queen. The Ivorian epitomise's the win at all costs mentality that Chelsea have become synonymous with since Jose Mourinho rolled into Stamford Bridge in 2004. That steely determination was back on display when Chelsea, against all odds, triumphed in Munich on Saturday night. On the greatest night in the clubs history, Drogba once again stepped up when all others lost hope. Thomas Mullers 83rd minute header looked to have given Bayern their fifth European Cup, sending thousands of Bavarians ballistic. For a team whose nickname is FC Hollywood, this seemed like the perfect ending. But little did the army of red know that Chelsea's very own War Horse would come charging in to tear up their fariytale script. Leaping through the warm German summer air, Drogba crashed an unstoppable header passed a helpless Manuel Neuer. Petr Cech then out psyched former team mate Arjen Robben to save his tame extra time penalty, and after both Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger fluffed their lines in a usually routine German penalty shootout win, Drogba had to score with only one kick, to provide a mammoth twist to this absorbing tale which after 83 minutes seemed unthinkable. Sure enough, with one swipe of his dynamic right foot, Drogba finally delivered the trophy his team coveted most, and with that, the mercurial forward took his final bow in front of 17,000 adoring Chelsea fans. How those supporters will miss him. In the eight trophy laden years he spent with the blues, Drogba won ten trophies, and in the ten finals he played, only failed to find the net once. That being in his darkest hour in Moscow, when he was sent off with minutes remaining and had he stayed on the pitch that night, Drogba would have taken that infamous fifth penalty which John Terry missed in Chelsea's shootout loss to Manchester United. How the footballing gods move in mysterious ways. Drogba finally had his moment of redemption in Munich and no player deserves it more.

But as well as being a fabulous player, Didier Drogba is also a giant of a man. Much of his income goes towards the many hospitals he is building in his native Ivory Coast through his charity 'the Didier Drogba Foundation'. When Civil War was growing increasingly bloody in his homeland, Drogba used his god like status in the country to call for a cease fire from all parties. As if commanded from above, the violence stopped. Many lives owe a debt of gratitude to the proud Ivorian, for he almost single handedly prevented the deaths of thousands of innocent people. In an age when professional footballers use their status to soley enrich their own lives, Drogba goes against that grain. Maybe, in the future, we may even see a President Didier of the Cote De Voir popping into Downing Street for a spot of tea.

But back to professional matters, what next for Drogba? What next for Chelsea? Drogbas Likely destination seems to be up and coming Chinese club, Shanghai Shenua, where he would link up with former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka. The 34 year old stated that he owes 'too much allegiance' to Chelsea and would never play for another English club. That is a welcomed and understandable sentiment, but Drogba in many people's mind, including mine, is still way to good to be slumming  it in the Chinese premier league despite the financial wealth that would come with the move. The one thing that Drogba has always relished is the big occasions. Due to his infatuation with scoring at Wembley, some Chelsea fans claim the famous arch towering over the fabled pitch should be named after the man himself. Yes, the man affectionately known as the 'Drog' will not miss a wet, windy Wednesday night in Wigan all that much, but will his insatiable appetite for the big matches leave a void in his life? Considering the hunger and drive  he seems to exude when it comes to the big occasion, one suspects it might do. There is no question that Chelsea will miss him and they will now need to find a way to cope in Drogba's absence. For now, it seems the club are willing to persevere with Fernando Torres. Despite being one of the worlds most accomplished strikers a few years back, the Spaniard has suffered 'the worst moments of his career' at Stamford Bridge, partly because the three managers he played under trusted Drogba significantly more to deliver when it mattered most. Perhaps, now that Torres knows he will no longer have to play second fiddle to Drogba, he will be liberated and we will see him back to his best. But on the flip side, Torres will be expected by the fans and hierachy to deliver in the big moments just as Drogba has over the past eight years and that could prove as big a weight on his shoulders as that £50 million price tag. 

When Didier Drogba first arrived on these shores, not many were convinced about his ability to cut it in the big time and his amateur dramatics at times made him a figure  of hate for many. But the striker, over the years, redeemed himself and Frank Lampard said Drogba will leave a 'massive hole' at the club. He may not have been included in the best striker category in the'20 seasons of the Premier League' awards, but there is no doubt Drogba is one of the finest centre forwards to have graced the competition. Thank you and goodbye Didier Drogba, you will be sorely missed (not by any Premier League defenders though!)