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Three Premier League players who couldn't resist going back for more!

On May 19th 2012, Didier Drogba signed off in perfect style for Chelsea. One sweep of his foot pl...
Newstalk
Newstalk

19.05 25 Jul 2014


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Three Premier League players w...

Three Premier League players who couldn't resist going back for more!

Newstalk
Newstalk

19.05 25 Jul 2014


Share this article


On May 19th 2012, Didier Drogba signed off in perfect style for Chelsea.

One sweep of his foot planted a penalty into the back of Manuel Neuer's net to give Roman Abramovich's holy grail and secure the Blues' first ever Champions League title.

Yet today, it was confirmed that he is back for more, signing a one-year deal at the age of 36, following two years of adventure which took him from China to Turkey.

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He is far from the first player in the Premier League era who has decided to come back to a place they loved, although some of those comebacks don't always end in satisfaction...

 

Thierry Henry 

Even today, Thierry Henry was reaffirming his love for Arsenal - a club he graced with distinction originally from 1999 to 2007, scoring 226 league goals in his first spell at Highbury and the Emirates.

After five years away, the Frenchman was at a loose end at the start of 2012 and when Arsene Wenger came calling, he did not hesitate to take up a temporary loan move from New York Red Bulls.

On his second Gunners debut, he would score the winner against Leeds United in an FA Cup tie, scoring once more against Sunderland in his seven match return. 

 

Joe Cole

A golden boy at Upton Park when he was coming through as a youngster, Cole spent five seasons at West Ham, before departing for Chelsea.

Never a bona fide regular at the Blues, nor at Liverpool, the ex-England international even spent a spell in France with Lille.

But a decade after leaving West Ham, Cole returned last summer. However, his Hammers comeback lasted just one season. Making 31 league appearances and scoring five times, Cole will spend next season at Aston after being released by West Ham.

 

Robbie Fowler 

A local lad who had the honour of scoring 120 league goals for Liverpool between 1993 and 2001, 'God' left for Leeds United amid tensions with then-manager Gerard Houllier

Between 2001 and 2006, Fowler had spells at Leeds and Manchester City where he continued to find the net with regularity.

But he was back at his beloved Anfield in January 2006 and he admitted that his return was like "a kid waking up on Christmas morning every day".

While his second spell at Liverpool lasted just 18 months and yielded 12 goals, he did overtake Kenny Dalglish in the all-time Liverpool's scorers' chart and captained the team in his final appearance.

Incidentally he is back at the club again in a different capacity. 

 

Other players who have returned to former clubs include Teddy Sheringham whose two Tottenham careers sandwiched five years at Manchester United which yielded seven trophies. He did manage 22 league goals in two seasons back at White Hart Lane.

Mathieu Flamini also came back to Arsenal last summer, five years after leaving for Milan in acrimonious circumstances. So far he has generally enjoyed a decent return to The Emirates.


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