Africa-Press – Kenya. Didier Drogba wasn’t always the fearsome striker who lit up stadiums across Europe. Before shining at Le Mans, Guingamp, Marseille, and especially Chelsea, the Ivorian legend actually started out as a defender.
In the upcoming episode of The Bridge, co-hosted by Sébastien Abdelhamid and Aurélien Tchouaméni with guests like Drogba, Tony Parker, Kameto, and Paul de Saint-Sernin, Drogba recounts a surprising story about how a family member changed the course of his career.
“When I signed my first license at 11 years old in Dunkerque, I started as a right-back. I’d go down the flank like Lilian Thuram, cut in on my left, and shoot,” Drogba recalled. “My uncle saw me and asked, ‘What are you doing at right-back?’ I told him it was the only position left. He said, ‘In our family, we’re strikers. You’re not staying there.’ But I didn’t dare say anything to the coach. I finished the season in defense.”
A twist of fate helped seal his future. “We moved to Abbeville, and the coach asked me what position I played. I told him ‘striker,’ even though I’d never played there. I started scoring goal after goal—over 40 that season. That’s when everything began.” The rest is football history.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
