Chelsea player Didier Drogba has been buying dozens of his own football shirts to increase the club shop's sales and persuade team-mates of his popularity with fans.
The 29-year-old, originally from the Ivory Coast, has reportedly spent thousands of pounds on replica shirts in a bid to try and convince his team-mates he is just as much of a crowd favourite as they are.
The £24 million striker, who was named Premier League top goal scorer for 2006-2007, has had less success in shirt sales compared to John Terry and Frank Lampard who reportedly taunt him about it on the training ground.
One Chelsea insider claimed Drogba visits the club shop up to 10 times a week and on one occasion walked out of the store with 40 shirts priced at approximately £45 each, setting him back £1,800.
The first-team regular could easily get shirts free of charge but the £70,000-a-week centre forward is paying like any other customer to improve his shirt sale statistics.
A Stamford Bridge source revealed: "Dids is never out of the club shop. He is spending a fortune.
"He is on first name terms with the staff and is easily their best customer.
"The competition to be the most popular is massive and Didier hates losing.
"He has been buying loads of copies of his number 11 shirt and must be up there with the club's top sellers by now.
"Dids has been sending all his replica shirts to his mates back home."
Comments
Secondly what use could an Ivorian hospital or school put £1800 to? I hope and pray he gets dog\'s abuse at the next match.
For all we know, he may be sending the strips to kids back home.
Don\'t believe all you read. It can easily have a \"spin\" put on it to suit certain parties.
Yes, of course, so they can all play with the number 11 and Drogba on their backs. Class idea. Imagine the commentary!