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Analyst, TSN Radio 690 Montreal

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Having boarded a regularly scheduled airliner in London some seven hours earlier, recently shorn of those world famous locks, a lean and very trim appearing and cool as a cucumber Didier Drogba waltzed into Montreal Wednesday evening to the type of welcoming the Justin Bieber's of the world could only dream about.

I highly doubt the polarizing figure of Cristiano Ronaldo would have received such a frenzied and all-embracing welcoming. Like Beckham before him, Drogba completely transcends his craft.

It was just over 48 hours earlier MLS's 19th franchise had announced the capturing of a signature that at a stroke redefines the Montreal Impact. As stated in this column two weeks ago, Drogba in an Impact shirt is as seminal a moment as to the time Posh and Becks arrived via helicopter at the Home Depot Centre almost eight years to the day the current Barclays Premier League champion was unveiled at Saputo Stadium.

To rapturous applause and standing ovations from Impact supporters and media alike, even the unreliable Montreal weather this summer cooperating Thursday evening as the ceremonies took place pitchside in the main grandstand.

I first had the immense pleasure of watching Drogba play soon after he arrived at Chelsea from Marseille in late July 2004 for a bounty of £24m [$48M] and what was at the time a club record price for a player. What struck me most was not his football skill set or dexterity that particular Saturday afternoon in SW6 but observing the respect Drogba garnered from teammate and opponent alike.

When Drogba opened his mouth, all around him were nothing but ears. Even though a stomach muscle injury seriously curtailed Drogba's playing time that season, where he was lost to Chelsea for two months, his 16 goals in 40 appearances helped his new club to its first English top flight title in exactly 50 years and also to a domestic cup triumph and a semi-final berth in the Champions League.

Drogba's best performance that debut season was undoubtedly the 2005 League Cup Final where the Chelsea forward bossed Liverpool, scoring a brace in a 3-2 victory. Who knows how much that performance, that particular day was interpreted by Steven Gerrard when just over two months later the Liverpool skipper inspired his own club that oh-so-famous night in Istanbul, and with it a fifth European title for the English giants.

Over those eight seasons at Stamford Bridge which Drogba of course signed off with that monumental Munich evening on May 19, 2012 the one performance at Stamford Bridge which will always stand out above all else for me was during the 2007/08 Champions League. It was the second leg of the semi-final against Liverpool, having tied the first leg at Anfield 1-1, Chelsea were odds on favourites to make it to their very first Champions League Final.

That late April evening in SW6, Drogba was at his most purposeful best both on and off the ball. During an exhausting encounter which went to extra time, he calmed all nerves inside Stamford Bridge with a very well taken opener just after the half hour mark. Drogba's goal celebration where he slid right across the Liverpool bench was not just a message to Rafa Benitez but to every single person connected to Liverpool Football Club who were inside Stamford Bridge that memorable evening.

Drogba was one of the very first over to congratulate Lampard after he scored Chelsea's second in extra time from the penalty spot. In what was the midfielder's first appearance for Chelsea following the recent death of his mother. As Lampard lay prone on the pitch, it was Drogba's comforting words that helped a clearly emotional Lampard get to his feet and when he did, there was Drogba the protector who kept the prying TV camera at bay.

He then put the tie beyond doubt scoring Chelsea's killer third goal right at the end of the first half of extra time. Even though we know what happened at the final in Munich, that evening goes down as one of the greatest nights in the entire 110-year history of Chelsea.

The now 37-year old Drogba was used sparingly by Mourinho last season where the Chelsea legend only made seven starts in all competitions from the turn of the year. This was more a tactical and wealth of talent issue at Stamford Bridge than Mourinho of the belief Drogba could not contribute. Injury as well played its part.

Before reaching the conclusion that Drogba's, miserly by his standards, seven-goal return from 40 matches played will not exactly get the pulses racing of MLS opponents. Dig a little deeper and you will see a vast number of those appearances came in the latter stages of a match where very often Chelsea were in no urgent need of goals. This coming in a season Drogba claimed a fourth BPL title over the span of nine seasons played in the blue of Chelsea.

Swapping the Chelsea blue for Impact blue, Drogba has also traded in a Championship team for one which currently sits in 13th position of 20 in MLS. I do not agree for one moment what Nigel Reo-Coker said earlier in the week that Drogba will find life more difficult in MLS as he will not be surrounded by the same calibre of team mate.

First off, the true greats, of which Drogba is most certainly one, rise and inspire all those around them to achieve better things. Second of which, for all we know Reo-Coker was using his words very carefully as ways to challenge his teammates to go on and perform to the best of their capabilities in the 16 matches which remain until the end of the season.

Drogba will not hold back when it comes to telling and instructing his new teammates. In fact, Frank Klopas better get used to hearing some sound tactical advice.

Drogba recently disclosed to UK TV that what led to his out of character lash-out at Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic towards the end of extra time which resulted in a red card at the 2008 Champions League Final was the refusal of his manager Avram Grant not to listen to Drogba. He had earlier suggested to Grant he should bring on Nicolas Anelka and Chelsea should revert to a 4-4-2.

Drogba's reasoning was due to his recognizing Manchester United's central defenders were tiring and he was of the undoubted belief that Chelsea would be far better off going at the opponent with two central attackers.

Although it's very well established and accepted players like Beckham, Henry and certainly Di Vaio failed abysmally by their very high standards when they joined MLS in midseason - where Drogba differs and has the comparative advantage is that he has not just come off and endured an exhausting season which drains both physiologically and psychologically.  

By the initial look of Drogba, he has kept himself extremely fit since being chair-lifted off that Stamford Bridge pitch exactly two months ago. He most certainly arrived into Montreal more lean and trim appearing than a few of his ex-Chelsea teammates did when they flew into Montreal just two short weeks ago.

It goes without saying Impact president Joey Saputo has taken a significant risk on Drogba but if Thursday evening's press conference is any indication, it is crystal clear Drogba chose Montreal over all other suitors. By nature we all perform better in our place of choosing. In conversations we know that Frank Klopas, Adam Braz and Nick de Santis had with not just Mourinho but other key figures at Chelsea, including fitness and medical staff each, and all of those highly valuable discussions significantly mitigate the overall aggregate risk which any cub takes on any new signing.  

An horrific injury apart rewards for the Impact will most certainly occur on the pitch. Class after all, unlike form, lasts a lifetime. The rewards off the pitch have already started to occur, and they did almost the moment Drogba's signature was announced.

Not quite sure the recent signings of Gerrard, Pirlo and Lampard made headline news in the likes of India, Kenya and Antigua. I even saw a Drogba to Impact article on a website devoted to all things weather. The UK media as one would expect, even outdid each other as they fell over themselves in their unique and appealing way to cover the next saga of a player who without doubt is one of the greatest of overseas talents to ever grace a BPL pitch.

On the local level, Wednesday afternoon I happened to be in the flagship store of the biggest soccer retailers in not only Montreal but also one of largest in the nation and you guessed it, they had completely run out of Drogba Impact jerseys. I forget how many Impact supporters I saw walk in and leave dejected that they would have to wait a day. I was only there for 15 minutes. No prizes for guessing who is dominating the headlines in both French and English, and it is not only from the soccer or sports media but the mainstream news and entertainment media. I'm sure Drogba's signature is the subject of conversations at City Hall, in Quebec City and even around the Houses of Parliament.

Since the Drogba to Montreal rumours first started swirling around, I forget how many times I have been asked where Drogba sits amongst the best today.  Passed his peak, in pure footballing terms Drogba is not uttered in those opening conversations.

However in terms of Drogba's immense appeal, his marketability and dare we say brand value, the Ivorian Icon's humility trumps the lot. Quite the charming default expression too, you'd have to agree.

Messi, Ronaldo, Ibrahimović, Rooney and KaKa even Beckham might make more money but that isn't the engine which guides, motivates and drives Didier Drogba. That's reserved for his wife, three kids, his entire family and his very own personal foundation. His doing for all others, especially in his native Ivory Coast tells you all you need to know about Didier Drogba the man.

At Thursday's press conference, Drogba said it's not for him to get familiar with his new Montreal surroundings whilst his new teammates fly to New York Friday for Saturday afternoon's encounter with NYCFC at Yankee Stadium - an encounter which will reunite Drogba with his old Chelsea sparring partner Frank Lampard. No disrespect meant to Kate and Wills but a photo of these other two London-based legends in New York will have the paparazzi laughing all the way to the bank.   

This season for the very first time, Major League Soccer is broadcast live in the UK, so don't be shocked to discover a few Impact matches will now be added to that broadcast schedule. You'll be guaranteed the TV's in the Mourinho household, in a whole host of Chelsea footballers living rooms and players from right across the BPL will be tuned into them.

Even in the London home of the very man who made Drogba's extraordinary career and accomplishment at Chelsea a reality - Mr. Abramovich himself.  

Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca
@TheSoccerNoel on Twitter

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