Drogs ties himself to Stamford Bridge until 2010
Didier Drogba has answered his critics in style this season
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Friday, 03, Nov 2006 09:36
Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba has signed a contract extension at Chelsea that will see him remain at the Premiership champions for four more years.
The 28-year-old's current deal had been due to run out at the end of next season, but his spectacular early season form has been rewarded with a new deal by Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
Drogba, a £24 million signing from Marseille, had been criticised for a lack of goals in his first two years in England, but has hit the net ten times in all competitions this season so far, including Tuesday's last-gasp equaliser against archrivals Barcelona, which made him the Champions League's joint top goalscorer.
However, the hitman told the club's official TV station that he was "not playing well just because I wanted to sign a new contract".
"I am playing well because I feel good and I am happy to train with my friends. I want to say thank you to Jose for believing in me since the beginning and now we will be together for a long time. The best period of my career I think," he said.
Drogba added: "I am happy because when I came here it wasn't easy for me to say I would be signing a new contract with Chelsea, because everybody knows the first year was difficult. The second one was okay but I knew I could do better."
The Ivorian will be hoping to pay back the club's faith in him when he leads Chelsea's attack against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.