Drogba: “I would have stayed if we had not won the Champions League.”

The Blues legend headed in the 88th-minute equaliser and netted the deciding penalty in the Munich shootout to clinch Chelsea their first European Cup.

Drogba is leaving at the very top, having also won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups scoring 157 goals in 341 games.

He said: “The best was to finish on a high with this Champions League final. It was the best of the best, la creme de la creme as we say in French.

“I would have stayed if we hadn't won the Champions League because that was my challenge, what I wanted to achieve.

“If we didn't win, it would have been very difficult for me to leave because we have been chasing this trophy for the eight years since I was here and we were always close to it.

“We even walked by the cup in Moscow, when we lost to United and we could not touch it. Now I think it's time to go.

“When you spend eight years trying to achieve the best thing, when you are looking for something like the Champions League for years and years and you finally get it, what's next?

“The club have tried to keep me. I could stay as long as I was performing, it's not like they didn't want me any more.

“It's my decision. We all sat down together and everybody understands.”

Drogba, 34, had a heart to heart with owner Roman Abramovich.

And he added: “Mr Abramovich said he understood my feelings, respected my choice and that I would be a Chelsea player forever.

“We spoke for the last few days and we keep talking because he's a good man, a very good man.

“He gave everything to my family, gave them the chance to have comfort and a nice lifestyle which is fantastic because I came from the Ivory Coast where I didn't have all these things. Maybe he doesn't know, but he helped a lot of people.”

Drogba claimed he has not decided where to go next even though Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua claim he will sign for them.

He said: “I really want to keep thinking about what happened on Saturday rather than talking about China, America, or I don't know.

“I won't play for another English club. I owe too much allegiance to Chelsea. My blood is blue.”