Why Didier Drogba Has Usurped Peter Osgood as Chelsea's Greatest Striker
Peter Osgood was a phenomenal player, one of the finest strikers of his generation.
A statue in his honour stands proud outside Stamford Bridge, welcoming fans into the West Stand. It guards the stadium, sending a warning to whoever passes by: Legends are made here, you know.
Indeed, so much is Osgood's status along the King's Road, he's the only Chelsea player, past or present, to be remembered in such a way by the club.
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The next time a statue is carved out for a Chelsea striker, it will probably be for Didier Drogba.
The self-proclaimed Special One himself, manager Jose Mourinho has been rolling out the superlatives for the Ivorian this week.
"His character is bigger than his body," he said after Drogba spearheaded Chelsea's attack to battle through a tough Capital One Cup tie against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday, per Daily Mail.
He may be 36 years old, but that tie was Drogba's second game in 48 hours after his starring role in Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
"What he did today maybe was because of his character and not because of his body. Let's see the reaction after this but this is what makes players special," Mourinho added.
"If I was a kid player and I played with this guy on my side, what more could I wish for? For the kids it must be a privilege."
Watching Drogba in Chelsea colours is proving a privilege for Chelsea fans once more.
He left the club two years ago after delivering the Champions League and it was supposed to be the last they would see of him.
Mourinho couldn't resist one more crack at the whip, though, and evidently, neither could Drogba, who signed a one-year deal to return to Stamford Bridge having left Galatasaray this summer.
Drogba's return was somewhat subdued. Expectations were low and questions about his ability to be the Drogba of old were rightly raised.
After all, here was a player who, for the past two years, had been playing in China and Turkey—two footballing outposts not exactly in line with the physical challenges of the Premier League.
Drogba's return was a risk. Not financial or even on the playing side, but to his legacy.
His last kick of a ball for Chelsea was the very kick that delivered the Holy Grail—the Champions League.
Everything he had achieved in the eight years previous, all those goals, the blood, sweat and tears—it had all been building to that moment.
How could he ever match it?
It's a simple answer, he can't.
Returning to Chelsea came with a hint of that reputation being tarnished, leaving a smudge on his name.
Osgood still remains the King of Stamford Bridge, but there's no doubt his second spell at the club meant his Chelsea career ended with a whimper.
Ossie had left for Southampton four years previous, winning the FA Cup for a second time with the club to show he could still compete outside of his Chelsea comfort zone.
When he returned to Stamford Bridge, Osgood was a different player to the one that had left. He was 31 and the years of injuries and heavy tackles had taken their toll on his body.
The swashbuckling style of yesteryear had been left exactly there—in the past.
When making his debut for a second time in Chelsea blue, Drogba's display against Schalke this season seemed to suggest he was going the same way.
He looked off the pace and unable to impact the game. Drogba's threat so void that night, Diego Costa replaced him late on as Chelsea looked for a way to win the game.
In his prime, Drogba was always the man for those situations. Bad game, injured, unfit—it didn't matter. The manager always kept him on the pitch as he was Didier Drogba, a man capable of winning matches in an instant.
That night suggested Mourinho was no longer confident he could play that role.
With games under his belt and time to readjust, the past week has suggested otherwise. Drogba has three goals in three games and his displays against Manchester United and Shrewsbury have marked him a player Chelsea can rely on.
Facing United on Sunday, Drogba drifted in and out of the game. When the moment arrived, however, who was there to power Chelsea into the lead with a sublime header?
It was vintage stuff.
And when Shrewsbury made things tricky at New Meadow, Drogba was the man bailing Chelsea out. Like he always has.
It's about his ability, yet there is so much more that comes into it and Mourinho is no fool, he knows that himself.
When we talk of Drogba, it's about that big heart, spirit, his character. That's what has got him through this past week, a factor Mourinho has acknowledged.
It's what will get him through the season.
Ossie was a player with similar character. He was a man who played for the badge, for the love of the club, only right now, Drogba is outdoing him.
They played in different times and for a club in very different circumstances, yet their tales are similar.
Ossie and Drogba have had Chelsea teams built around them, have delivered in the big moments, when it counted most of all—FA Cup finals, European Cup finals, matches against fierce rivals.
Now he's back for more, though, the image of Drogba continues to grow. It's getting bigger and with it, threatening to overshadow even Osgood's.
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Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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