Didier Drogba and Thierry Henry represent an iconic Premier League era. It was the era of the long sleeves, the T90 ball that would fly in all kinds of directions and, of course, some of the greatest rivalries that English football has ever seen.
It’s only right that both Drogba and Henry featured in such an era. The former, so often the man for the big occasion at Chelsea, sits alongside some of the greats in Stamford Bridge history. Henry, meanwhile, is arguably the greatest Premier League player of all time. The Frenchman, at his best, was simply absurd.
Appearances
254
258
Goals
104
175
Assists
59
73
So many have been so full of praise for both. Legendary ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once told reporters: “People like Thierry Henry [also] had exceptional qualities. They would run 100 metres in 11 seconds when everybody else did it in 12.5 or 13. So if today they are running it in 12, they are still quicker.
“They start from a huge potential and that’s why at that age they can still survive, because they have the football intelligence. They had exceptional physical qualities at the start.”
Wenger’s counterpart, Jose Mourinho, has rarely hidden his admiration for Drogba, meanwhile. The so-called ‘Special One’ formed quite the partnership with the forward during his time at Chelsea.
“Undoubtedly, he’s one of the most important players in the history of this club. That’s not a doubt. We all, Chelsea supporters, agree with that. We don’t say the most important one because it’s not fair for other people who were in the same level or in the same generation.”
As good as they both are, though, Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic named an alternative player as the toughest opponent that he’s ever played against.
Man Utd icon Vidic reveals Rooney was toughest opponent
For all the great battles that he had with Drogba and Henry, Vidic’s toughest games often came on the training pitch against Wayne Rooney. The former Manchester United defender was asked by Rio Ferdinand to pick his toughest opponent between the aforementioned three and quickly named his old teammate.
“Wayne Rooney. Obviously, Didier Drogba so many big challenges against him at the time of competing. But training every day with Wayne, powerful, fast.”
It should come as no shock that the Serbian defender struggled against Rooney. The former England forward is one of the best that the Premier League has ever seen – scoring 208 goals and assisting another 103 in an incredible career.
Vidic will be thankful that he only had to square off against Rooney in training, rather than in a competitive outing at club level. Other centre-backs didn’t have the same luck and were soon put to the sword.
Those three were certainly the main men of their era when it came to strikers in the Premier League. Although all icons in their own right, Vidic’s verdict suggests that Rooney left a mark on those both inside Manchester United and the rest of English football.
