Didier Drogba’s illustrious playing career is set to continue, as Phoenix Rising announced on Wednesday the Chelsea legend has joined the United Soccer League (USL) side.
[ FOLLOW: All of PST’s MLS coverage | USMNT ]
Drogba, 39, will headline his new league and team’s 2017 season alongside a pair of familiar names also in Phoenix, 37-year-old Omar Bravo and 35-year-0ld Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Happy to announce I have signed with @PHXRIsingFC and will be part of the ownership group hoping to take Phoenix to the MLS #Drogba2PHX pic.twitter.com/h1eefmqgJL
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) April 12, 2017
Drogba most recently played for the Montreal Impact in MLS, where he scored 11 goals in a stellar half-season (11 games) debut in 2015, before tailing off during the second half of the 2016 season, scoring 10 goals in 22 games regardless.
[ MORE: U.S., Mexico, Canada announce joint 2026 World Cup bid ]
“The USL is a league on the rise, further demonstrated by the caliber of players who have recently joined our ranks,” said USL president Jake Edwards in a league press release. “The addition of Drogba in Phoenix, as well as the numerous other world class and domestic players competing in the USL speaks volumes to the professional-quality environment our league continues to build.”
