Drogba to leave Chelsea for second time but not to retire

Legendry footballer Didier Drogba has announced that he will leave Chelsea in the summer, although he will not be retiring just yet.

Drogba has helped Chelsea to the Premier League title and Sunday afternoon’s home clash with Sunderland will be his last for the Barclays Premier League champions but he hopes to return to the club in some capacity in the future.

The 37-year-old first signed for the club in 2004 and has scored a total of 164 goals in 381 appearances. He will sign off from his second stint at Stamford Bridge before the club lift the Premier League trophy in front of their home fans following the final match of the season.

Drogba, who slotted home the decisive Champions League-winning penalty for the Blues at the end of his first spell with the club in 2012, told chelseafc.com: ‘I want to play for at least one more season and in order to play more football I feel I need to go to another club. All the fans know my love for Chelsea and I hope to be back here in the future in another role.’

The Ivorian, who spent spells with Galatasaray and Shanghai Shenhua after leaving Chelsea for the first time in 2012 rejoined the Blues in 2014 when manager Jose Mourinho returned to the club, collecting his fourth Premier League winner’s medal this season. The 37-year-old has played a more peripheral role for Chelsea this season starting only seven top-flight matches in 27 appearances.

The former Marseille striker will become a free agent this summer following the expiration of his one-year deal at Stamford Bridge.