Nothing can hold back dedicated Drogba

DIDIER DROGBA believes he has finally conquered the doubts which once left him contemplating his future in football.

Four years ago the Ivory Coast striker thought about quitting the game for good after stagnating on the substitute's bench with Le Mans in the French Second Division.

But the unpalatable experience left the Chelsea star a much wiser man and Bayern Munich were unable to cope with the sheer pace and power of the 25-year-old at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

However, as Chelsea continue their quest for the Premiership title against Birmingham today, Drogba is likely to be sitting on the bench once more.

But this time, instead of being written off as a player by his coach, he knows it is only because he is being rested ahead of the re-match with Bayern on Tuesday night.

He explained: "I realise how fast your life can change and that is why I do not get so excited by what is happening now. A few years ago, I was in the French Second Division with Le Mans and on the bench.

"I am proud of what I have done because I've worked hard to get here. For me the pressure was four years ago when I was in the second division and wanted to play in the first. That was pressure for me.

"Maybe there was a little bit of talent but I had to change a lot of things in my life because I was young and learning how to become a professional.

"I made a lot of mistakes but when you make them, you learn very quick. I had to change the way I prepared for games because before I wasn't very good at that.

"I was playing well one game and the one after I was bad. You have to work hard to get consistency. Even when I was young I was very confident because when I want something I do anything to get it."

With manager Jose Mourinho still shunning the media spotlight, all the talk centred on his return to the touchline against Birmingham. Mourinho will be missing again in Munich and Drogba conceded that it was difficult not having the coach in the dressing room.

"For us it was a big problem. It is not easy to prepare for a game like the Bayern Munich one with that kind of pressure and I think we did well. But it is not finished because if we go to the end of this competition we will have this kind of pressure. We have to learn to adapt. It was strange not having him in the dressing room but that is the time when you find your leaders.

"We are a group a strong team. We have tried to help him because it is not easy for him. You can see him laughing but it is not easy for him. We are behind him.

"He is here for another three years and I signed for the same period, so I hope we are both here until the end of our contracts."

Chelsea are likely to rest a number of other stars and that could mean a place in the starting line-up for fit again striker Mikael Forssell.

Meanwhile Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Chelsea's quarter-final tie with Bayern is anything but over and warned the Germans will not "put the red carpet out" at the Olympic Stadium.

"It will be tough, tougher than people think it is, but I would still give Chelsea an advantage 60/40.

"I felt [Robert] Kovac lost Munich the first game. He lost every fight with Drogba and they could not mark the second man at all. They missed [Martin] Demichelis highly. Against us he was their strongest player in the air and was a very good shield."

Wenger added: "Chelsea have always been a little bit more direct than we are. You have to choose and they used it well. You cannot blame the way Chelsea played, you can blame the way Bayern defended against it."

Today's clash at Stamford Bridge is the commentary game on Today FM's Premiership Live.