Drogba: I don't regret leaving

Didier Drogba has no regrets about leaving Chelsea and has reiterated his desire to see out his two-and-a-half-year contract with Shanghai Shenhua.

Doubt has been cast over the future of Drogba and fellow former Blues forward Nicolas Anelka following reports of a power struggle at their new club.

Drogba, who ended his eight-year stint at Stamford Bridge in the summer to move to China, has been linked with a return to the Barclays Premier League, but insists he has no plans to leave Shanghai.

“I’m here. I just arrived, like, two months ago,” the Ivory Coast international told BBC Sport.

“I’m really happy here – I am. I am really happy here. So I have no reasons to leave. I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here as long as I can, win some trophies with my team, and make our fans very happy.

“It’s difficult at the moment but I know that there is hope, and I believe.”

Asked how long he saw himself staying with the Chinese Super League club, he replied: “My contract. My contract is two and a half years and maybe more. Maybe more and I hope more because I’m really happy here.

“I miss the Premier League because it’s the best league in the world but, really, I don’t regret my choice.”

Drogba arrived in China soon after Sergio Batista had replaced Jean Tigana at the helm, but has played down the significance of the recent upheaval.

“It’s what happens at a normal team, at a normal club, like it happened at Chelsea, like it happened at Manchester City, like everywhere,” said the 34-year-old, whose side lie ninth in the 16-team table with six games remaining.

“That’s football, that’s part of the game, you know. Like, the manager comes, if he doesn’t get results, they change.

“It’s the same thing. Football is universal. It’s the same thing that happens everywhere in the world.”

It had been suggested the player was not being paid, given the reported financial issues at the club, but Drogba insisted that was not the case.

“Of course they are [paying me],” he said.