Football news - Chelsea legend Didier Drogba confirms retirement from football

"After 20 years, I have decided to put an end to my playing career," Drogba told the BBC.

Drogba played for Chelsea for nine seasons across two separate spells, during which time he won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League in 2012.

He scored a total of 164 goals for the club in 391 appearances having initially joined the Blues from Marseille in the summer of 2004.

Upon leaving Chelsea for the first time after the Champions League triumph he initially moved to China with Shanghai Shenua and then to Turkey to play for Galatasaray before returning to Stamford Bridge to play under Jose Mourinho once more.

After departing London with another winners' medal he moved to MLS to play for Montreal Impact before seeing out his playing career with USL side Phoenix Rising where he was a player-owner.

He helped the club reach the USL play-offs where the team lost 1-0 to Louisville City FC, prompting Drogba's retirement.

Drogba didn't play top-division football until he was 23, when he was signed by Guingamp from Le Mans in January 2002.

From there he went to Marseille and then to Chelsea where he first worked with Mourinho, who developed him into one of the most-feared centre-forwards in the Premier League.

Drogba developed a penchant for scoring goals in big moments, he was the first player in history to score in four FA Cup finals and scored the dramatic equaliser against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final, and then the winning penalty in the proceeding shoot-out.

He was the first African to reach 100 Premier League goals and internationally he is the Ivory Coast's all-time top scorer with 65 goals in 104 games.

He was captain of the team from 2006 and led them to their first World Cup in 2006, scoring their first ever World Cup goal, as well as to the finals of the 2006 and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations although they lost both times on penalties.

After getting Ivory Coast to the 2006 World Cup he was credited for a role in helping the nation reach a ceasefire after a five-year long civil war.

Drogba has reportedly not decided on what his next steps in life will be.