Tottenham Hotspur’s summer signing Serge Aurier has thanked Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba for the piece of advice offered last year.
The right-back has had plenty of controversies on and off the field, but he still managed to attain a work permit to secure his Premier League move.
Aurier was never out of controversy during his time at Parc des Princes with former boss Laurent Blanc temporarily suspending the right-back due to foul language used on social media. Last season, he was charged with a criminal offense after he assaulted a police officer outside of a Paris nightclub, who had asked him for a breath test.
Late last year, Drogba told French broadcaster RTL that Aurier needed to become aware of the situation in order to realise what he represents now. Aurier has since taken the advice publicly after admitting that he was in the wrong over his behaviour.
He told Canal + Sport: “He’s in the best position to judge me. He has given me a lot of advice. I often went on holiday with him. I took it as advice. It was a little barb, but I took it well. I know the fella, and I know he likes me a lot.”
Aurier was linked with a potential move to Manchester United earlier in the transfer window, but the move could not quite materialise with his work permit being an issue. Thereafter, Spurs took charge of the player’s pursuit, and they personally intervened to convince the home office to offer him a working visa.
Kieran Trippier has struggled with a couple of injuries since the start of the start of the season, and this offers Aurier the perfect opportunity to seal the right wing-back spot ahead of Kyle Walker-Peters, who is considered as a huge prospect for the future.