The internet is one of the most incredible innovations in human history. It can be a wonderful thing, but it’s also a toxic cesspool if you find yourself on the wrong part of different websites, such as “football Twitter” or Reddit in its entirety. One of the debates that has been making its rounds on social media over the last few weeks is a classic “who is better?” discussion. This particular conversation pins the likes of Chelsea legend Didier Drogba up against Leicester City’s bad boy, Jamie Vardy. In times like these, I wish I was ignorant to The Pride of London‘s minimum word count requirement.
A simple one-word article would suffice here and settle the argument once and for all: No. But since the aforementioned minimum word count exists, you (the wonderful reader) get to sit back and read over 1,400 words that put this debate to rest. It must be said that Vardy is a very good footballer who has enjoyed a fairy tale career in relation to where he began. However, comparing him with the likes of Drogba is inexcusable for anybody who has watched the two play the sport. The former Chelsea man is an all-time legend in the game—not just the Premier League.
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba is a step above Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy
The biggest reason that this comparison is incomprehensible is because it’s based entirely on statistics. The only argument being made for the Leicester City man is that he’s got more goals in more Premier League games played than Drogba. This is an undeniable fact. As any football fan knows though, stats mean nothing without a bit of context.
Background
Vardy is hailed as a bit of a late bloomer and rightfully so. He didn’t play a single match above England’s fifth division until he joined Leicester City (then in the Championship) in 2012. The striker then had to wait another two years until he could get his first crack at the Premier League; he was 27 when he debuted in the top flight. This has been heralded as a completely unique career path, and in some senses it is, but Drogba’s story is more similar to Vardy’s than many may believe.
Drogba broke through into Europe’s top leagues a little bit earlier, debuting in Ligue 1 at 22. However, he wouldn’t get a Premier League move until the age of 25. It must also be stated that he spent the prime of his career with the Blues largely playing under managers of a defensive mindset, such as Jose Mourinho and his disciple, Andre Villas-Boas. It wasn’t until Chelsea hired Carlo Ancelotti (manager from July 2009 to May 2011) that Drogba came under the tutelage of a manager with a serious attacking mindset. It’s no coincidence that—if not for AFCON, malaria and a mid-season rib injury—the Ivorian could have registered possibly the greatest attacking season the Premier League has ever seen in 2009/10.
Drogba also left England for a brief period (two years) before returning to play for Mourinho for one final campaign at the age of 36. Vardy, now 35, has remained in the Premier League since breaking into the top flight back in 2014. While Vardy has also been the No. 1 up top for Leicester City until recently, that wasn’t always the case for Drogba. He played with better players—a common argument against him for some reason—but that also meant more competition and split minutes. Nicolas Anelka (2008-12) and Fernando Torres (2011/12) being the notable strikers that the Blues also employed during Drogba’s tenure.
These are just some of the things to consider prior to viewing the raw statistics.
Before diving into this argument any further, here is the full statistical breakdown of the two players’ careers (all stats courtesy of Transfermarkt):
Premier League
- Didier Drogba: 104 goals and 64 assists in 254 games (17,525 minutes)
- Jamie Vardy: 133 goals and 45 assists in 270 games (21,890 minutes)
Drogba averaged a goal every 168.5 minutes, G+A every 104.3 minutes
Vardy has averaged a goal every 164.6 minutes, G+A every 123 minutes
Domestic Competitions
- Drogba (FA Cup): 12 goals and seven assists in 29 games (2,348 minutes)
- Vardy (FA Cup): Five goals and no assists in 20 games (1,359 minutes)
Drogba averaged a goal every 195.7 minutes, G+A every 123.6 minutes
Vardy has averaged a goal every 271.8 minutes, G+A every 271.8 minutes
- Drogba (EFL Cup): 10 goals and three assists in 20 games (1,131 minutes)
- Vardy (EFL Cup): Four goals and three assists in 15 games (915 minutes)
Drogba averaged a goal every 113.1 minutes, G+A every 87 minutes
Vardy has averaged a goal every 228.8 minutes, G+A every 130.7 minutes
- Drogba (Community Shield): Two goals and one assist in four games (280 minutes)
- Vardy (Community Shield): One goal and no assists in two games (161 minutes)
Drogba averaged a goal every 140 minutes, G+A every 93.3 minutes
Vardy has averaged a goal every 161 minutes, G+A every 161 minutes
Want your voice heard? Join the The Pride Of London team!
European Competitions
- Drogba (Champions League): 44 goals and 15 assists in 92 games (7,292 minutes)
- Vardy (Champions League): Two goals and one assist in nine games (772 minutes)
Drogba averaged a goal every 165.7 minutes, G+A every 123.6 minutes
Vardy averaged a goal every 386 minutes, G+A every 257.3 minutes
- Drogba (UEFA Cup*): Six goals and no assists in eight games (635 minutes)
- Vardy (Europa League): Two goals and no assists in eight games (372 minutes)
Drogba averaged a goal every 105.8 minutes
Vardy has averaged a goal every 186 minutes
*- UEFA Cup rebranded to Europa League in 2009
Career Overalls
- Drogba (Career overall): 301 goals and 126 assists in 687 games (48,355 minutes)
- Vardy (Career overall): 198 goals and 80 assists in 424 games (32,922 minutes)
Drogba averaged a goal every 160.6 minutes, G+A every 113.2 minutes
Vardy has averaged a goal every 166.3 minutes, G+A every 118.4 minutes
Statistical Enlightenment
The numbers speak for themselves, but in every common competition other than the Premier League, Drogba has a better return than Vardy. It’s worth noting that the latter’s numbers are still superb for a career as extensive as the Englishman’s, they’re just not good enough to match up against one of the best strikers to ever grace the country’s top flight.
Conclusion
If I haven’t made my stance known just yet (being facetious, of course), it’ll become even more obvious in the following paragraphs. Drogba’s advantage over Vardy is clear due to the fact he’s given the nod in more than just stats. If you’re so inclined, go on the web browser of your choice and spend the next hour or so clicking on every list of top Premier League strikers of all-time that you can find. Chances are Drogba will be ranked higher than Vardy in just about every—if not every, outright—article you stumble upon. There are reasons for that. While there are a lot of Chelsea fans out there, it’s not only the Blues supporters that rate and respect Drogba’s career.
The legendary Ivorian quite literally changed the way the striker position was played at the time. In an era where the 4-4-2 was the go-to formation for nearly every successful manager in the sport, Drogba showed clubs that playing with just one recognized striker was possible. Scratch that, he proved to them that they could thrive with a lone No. 9, not just survive. Drogba had the perfect skillset required to be an all-around, world class striker.
Whether you call him “The African King” or “Mr. Wembley”, both nicknames epitomize the forward’s career. Drogba struck fear into opponents—so much so that rivals still have the occasional nightmare about the Chelsea legend. He terrorized defenses at every turn, whether it be with his lethal strikes or his unique hold-up play. Drogba also developed a knack for turning up whenever needed. The Blues relied on their ruthless striker to bail them out on numerous occasions, and they also turned to him when the lights shined brightest. Look no further than the famous 2012 Champions League final in Munich to see the best example of this.
In the end, when comparing these two players, it’s not particularly close. Drogba and Vardy’s stats are somewhat similar overall—with the Foxes talisman having a slight advantage in the Premier League—and their greatness cannot be overstated. However, Drogba’s impact on the game of football is immeasurable. It’s because of this that the Chelsea legend sits at least a tier above the likes of Vardy when discussing all-time greats in English football.
What do you think about this debate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!