Chelsea legend Didier Drogba reveals he had an offer from a Premier League club before agreeing to join Phoenix Rising as a player-owner

DROGBA

Didier Drogba turned down an offer from a Premier League side before deciding to join United Soccer League outfit Phoenix Rising as player-owner. 

The former Chelsea striker had been without a club since leaving Major League Soccer Canadian side Montreal Impact in 2016.

But the Ivorian has now signed for Phoenix - where he will also become part of the ownership structure with the USL club, who are hoping to join the MLS as an expansion franchise in the future.

Drogba told BBC's Premier League Show: 'I'm moving to Phoenix in Arizona to the USL team.

'It's a good transition because I want to carry on playing but I'm almost 40... and it's important for me to prepare for after my career and Phoenix offered me that.

'I could have carried on playing. I had offers from England, from a Premier League side, the Championship, Middle East, China, India but it was only as a player.

'To own a team and be a player at the same time is unusual.' 

Drogba will join up with one of his former Chelsea team-mates on the roster in Phoenix - winger Shaun Wright-Phillips who moved to the Arizona club from New York Red Bulls earlier this year.

Another former team-mate of Drogba's, Romelu Lukaku has been capturing the headlines recently due to his form at Everton.

The forward has netted 23 Premier League goals so far this campaign, which caused Belgium manager Roberto Martinez to state that Lukaku could become the world's best striker.

And when asked for his opinion on Martinez comments, Drogba agreed: 'Well when you look at the statistics, his age and the way he's progressing I think he could be right.'

Lukaku left Chelsea on a permanent deal to move to Everton in 2014 but there have been rumours that he could make a return to Stamford Bridge.

Everton boss Ronald Koeman recently quipped that he will wait on a call from Drogba to find out if Lukaku would remain at Goodison Park - after reports the two former team-mates were in contact.

But Drogba laughed off any suggestions that he has a say over Lukaku's future, joking: 'If that was the case he would be in Chelsea already a long time ago. 

'I know that he loves Chelsea, this club needs people who feel something for the club and he does and more than that he wants to prove that he can make it.

'I would be happy to see him again in the Chelsea shirt but I don't decide for him, nobody decides for him. He already knows what he wants to do.'