Didier Drogba says Premier League legend was 'robbed' and deserved to win the Ballon d'Or '10 times'

The Premier League has imported some world-class footballers and Didier Drogba is right up there with the best of them.

Chelsea signed Drogba from Marseille in 2004 and he went on to win the title four times and the Champions League once in two spells at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues legend collected an impressive list of individual awards during his playing career and is widely respected for his philanthropy and charity work.

He was a founding player-owner of USL Championship club Phoenix Rising before retiring from football in 2018, and has twice co-hosted the glitzy Ballon d'Or ceremony.

Lionel Messi won the men's award on both occasions, with Megan Rapinoe and Alexia Putellas picking up the Ballon d'Or Femenin.

Drogba was asked by B/R Football to name a player who was unjustly overlooked for a Ballon d'Or, the accolade presented to the footballer voted the best in the world by journalists.

The Ivorian striker opted for a London rival and piled on the praise.

"Thierry Henry," he said. "He deserved it like ten times, because I think he was fantastic in the Premier League, but also for the national team and in the Champions League he was exceptional.

"Scoring goals, winning games on his own and for his team. I mean, we’re talking about Thierry Henry, I don’t know if there’s anything more to say."

The Arsenal forward was a sensation in the Premier League.

Thierry Henry and John Terry duel for the ball during a fixture between Arsenal and Chelsea. Image: Getty

Converted from a winger by Arsene Wenger, Henry scored 175 goals in 258 Premier League appearances between 1999 and 2012 and boasts the highest goals per game record of any player with 100 Premier League goals.

He played in a style that was considered unique, his ability to go past a defender every bit as devastating as his scoring record.

With Henry in his prime, the Gunners won the Premier League twice and were invincible in 2003-04.

They won the FA Cup three times in four years and reached the Champions League final in 2006, losing to a Barcelona side that would soon count Henry among its own.

He won the league twice in Spain, finally adding the Champions League to his medal collection in 2009 for good measure.

Henry was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021 and is universally regarded as one of its finest players ever.