Some players are good penalty takers. Didier Drogba was the man Chelsea wanted on the spot when the stakes were highest, which is a different job altogether.
The night that settles his place on this list came in the 2012 Champions League Final against Bayern Munich. After the game went to a shootout, it was Drogba who walked up for the final kick and scored the penalty that won Chelsea the trophy. One strike, and Chelsea had the greatest moment in their history.
What made him hard to stop from 12 yards
Power, mostly. Drogba did not bother much with disguise. He struck the ball so hard that goalkeepers could guess the right side and still not get a hand to it.
- He scored from the spot in big matches across the Premier League, the Champions League and international football.
- The Ivorian's nerve in finals was the same whether he was taking a penalty or attacking a cross.
- His big-game reputation at Chelsea was built on moments like Munich, where he wanted the ball when others looked away.
That one kick in 2012 would be enough to earn him a place here. A career of taking responsibility when it mattered is why he sits at 23.
Coming up tomorrow: number 22.
