CHELSEA midfielder Michael Essien is hopeful striker Didier Drogba will follow his lead and agree a new contact at Stamford Bridge.
Ghana international Essien agreed a five-year contract yesterday ahead of Chelsea's opening pre-season match in China, while Ivory Coast frontman Drogba remained in London to recover from a persistent knee injury.
The news of the decision to leave
the 30-year-old at Chelsea's Cobham training base to continue his recuperation has increased speculation he will leave Stamford Bridge before the start of the new campaign.
"Hopefully things will work out for Didier because we need him to stay," said Essien. "If he can make up his mind it will be good for us. He knows what he wants so it is up to him."
Essien, who arrived from Lyon in 2005, will remain at Stamford Bridge until 2013 and follows quickly in the footsteps of full-back Wayne Bridge and goalkeeper Petr Cech in agreeing new contracts with the London club.
He has so far made 143 appearances for the Blues, scoring on 14 occasions, while also winning the Premier League title in his first season.
"I am really pleased to sign a new contract with Chelsea," added the 25-year-old. "I came here to stay longer, I like the team and I love the fans and I think we have got a great squad. I did not consider any other options, I love playing for Chelsea."
And having committed his future to the club shortly after arriving in China ahead of today's meeting with Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, Essien hopes the trip will be the start of a bright future for last season's Barclays Premier League and Champions League runners-up under new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
The former Portugal coach took over from Avram Grant following Euro 2008 and is already attempting to make his mark on the squad after speaking of building a new philosophy, and was seen taking an active part in training at Guangzhou's Olympic Stadium yesterday.
"We have one of the best coaches in the world," said Essien. "He has a different way of working so hopefully things will work for us."
Chelsea captain John Terry believes Scolari's new philosophy will be the difference between success and failure as the Blues look to put last season's disappointments firmly in the past.
"The team are determined to win the Premier League and as many trophies as possible," said Terry. "When you see the hunger of the new management and the team he has brought in, it's on their minds to do exactly the same."
On a personal level, Terry admits he is still haunted by his crucial penalty miss in Moscow, but is confident of making amends this season under Scolari.
"Every morning I wake up and it's the first thing on my mind," he added.
"I still think of it. I'm still very disappointed by it, but I'm a big man and have a big character and it's down to me to deal with it.
"Having the England games straight afterwards helped flush it away a tiny bit, but hopefully we will be successful with the new manager and players this season."
Meanwhile, Scolari has conceded his Chelsea side are not the finished article in terms of personnel and performance.
The Brazilian has been pleased with his first three weeks at the helm and is looking forward to his first game at the Guangzhou Olympic Stadium with one eye on the Premier League opener against Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge on 17 August.
"We are happy about starting our job here. Our players are in a good condition, but not in the condition to win the title. It is our first game," he added.
"They have been training very well over the last 10 days. We have started a new job with Chelsea, a new philosophy, different training.
"We have some little problems but this is normal at this stage. But I have good players and they will not be in the same condition in three weeks.
"It is my first game in charge and it is a process for the players to get to know me and what I want on the pitch.
"We have technically good players and they might surprise me and play better than I expect. We want to win every game, but we expect some small problems but we play every game to win."
• Khalid Boulahrouz has completed his transfer from Chelsea to Stuttgart and signed a four-year contract yesterday with the Bundesliga club.
The Netherlands central defender, an impressive performer at Euro 2008, was released on Monday by Chelsea and arrived in Stuttgart's training camp in Austria shortly before midnight after passing a medical exam in Stuttgart.
The full article contains 806 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
