Didier Drogba reportedly remained in constant contact with Romelu Lukaku ahead of his groundbreaking return to Chelsea.
This is according to ESPN, who claim that the regular dialogue with Lukaku was part of the reason Lukaku felt prepared to prove himself to the Premier League once more.
ESPN say that the Stamford Bridge icon has been offering advice and sharing experiences with Chelsea’s club-record signing.
It was confirmed yesterday that the Belgian international had rejoined Chelsea after half a decade, in a staggering deal worth £97.5m (BBC).
Many identify him as the final dot to connect Thomas Tuchel’s master plan together; a striker who can consistently find the back of the net.
A type of player who the Blues arguably haven’t wielded since the era of Diego Costa.
Or even further back, to the days Drogba bullied and bustled his way past defenders.
And now it seems, Lukaku is ready to reignite the Ivorian’s legacy, a man he truly admires.
The pair have clearly stayed in touch ever since they shared a Chelsea changing room between 2011 and 2014.
During that period, Drogba was just about to call time on his Blues career.
But not before he cemented his place in history by winning the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
Lukaku never got a look in South West London, even when Drogba left and came back to the side two years later.
But the 28-year-old has gone on his own soul-searching journey since, one that’s lead him to emulate his idol and restart his Chelsea adventure.