Rambo & Co help Drogba
A GANG of British ex-pats are helping Didier Drogba fulfil his American dream in the Arizona desert.
Chelsea legend Drogba became football’s first player-owner in April after being handed a stake in ambitious American second division outfit Phoenix Rising.
The 39-year-old will hang up his boots at the end of the season, before taking on a boardroom role.
But it has taken Drogba several weeks of training with Phoenix to knock off the rust from more than six months out of action.
Thankfully for Drogba, there have been SIX experienced English professionals on hand to get him up to speed, including his former Chelsea team-mate Shaun Wright-phillips.
Phoenix captain and EX-QPR defender Peter Ramage said: “There’s a little Brits abroad thing going on, which is great. It keeps home sickness away.
“Shaun knows Didier really well and I’d played against him. He’s a bubbly character and brilliant around the dressing room.”
The English contingent also includes ex-leicester and Watford defender Jordan Stewart, Gillingham old boy Luke Rooney, former QPR trainee Jordan Gibbons and Brummie MLS veteran Matt Watson.
Stewart said: “I’ve played against Rambo [Ramage] and Shaun throughout my career. With English guys, everyone clicks together.
“But, whether you’re an English or foreign team, you’re going to bond.”
Drogba rejected offers from the Premier League, Brazil and China to join Phoenix after leaving MLS side Montreal Impact last October.
He has been working in an ambassadorial role, but will eventually take on director of football duties.
Ramage added: “He’s still a player and he acts like a player. He still gets fined if he does something wrong.
“He acts like one of the boys, not like the owner, or like Didier Drogba the superstar.” Surrey 297-9 (50.0 overs; M D Stoneman 144no). Nottinghamshire 298-6 (47.5 overs; A D Hales 187no, C M W Read 58). Nottinghamshire beat Surrey by 4 wickets.
1 G Thomas (Gbr) Team Sky 16m 4s, 2 S Kung (Swi)
P Uihlein (USA) 67 67 71, A Bjork (Swe) 66 69 70. A Sullivan (GB) 68 70 68, T Fleetwood (GB) 67 68 71.
N Djokovic (Ser) bt G Monfils (Fra) 6-3 6-4. Karolina Pliskova (Cze) bt C Wozniacki (Den) 6-4 6-4. Y Sugita (Jpn) bt A Mannarino (Fra) 6-1 7-6 (7-4).