Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic believes a revived Didier Drogba can emerge as a key player in the club's Premier League title challenge this season.
Many an observer viewed the decision of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to bring Drogba back to the Stamford Bridge club for a second spell last summer as something of a romantic move that was unlikely to reap the kind of rewards that were in evidence as the 36-year-old striker scored a vital goal in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Sunday.
Now Matic believes Drogba will prove he is still a potent threat at the highest level of the game on a regular basis over the course of this season, as doubts remain over the fitness of Chelsea's leading scorer Diego Costa.
"Didier played very well against United, he looked like a 20-year-old out there," Matic told the Evening Standard. "He was very important, kept every ball, was very strong. He was one of our most important players.
"Everybody saw that he played well. He is going to be important for us. He has already scored one in the Champions League and now another here.
"Like every player in the team, he is getting more confidence and we will see what happens in the future. He is very important for the young players because what we're trying to do now [winning titles], he has done it first.
"He is good mentally, he talks to the young players and makes things easier for them and for me also."
Matic suggested Chelsea's draw against United was a good point, despite the disappointment of conceding a late equaliser to Robin van Persie when they were seconds away from a vital victory.
"Old Trafford is not an easy place to get points," continued Matic. "In the end you never know what is going to decide the championship, but maybe this point will be crucial for us.
"Football is like this. Sometimes you can win in the last second, sometimes you lose some points. Of course we are not happy because we conceded a goal in the last moments, but we won a point and that's still very important for us.
"We already knew Manchester City lost 2-1 and after this we have one more point than before, so it's a six-point difference between us and them, plus four ahead of Southampton.
"Every point is very important for us, especially when you're playing against teams like Manchester United. They are strong and everyone knows they're a big club.
"We have done well and deserve to be in this position. It's a good feeling but also a big responsibility because now everyone wants to win against us, they have extra motivation.
Reports suggest Costa is now back in full training with Chelsea, with Matic suggesting it was too risky to play the Spaniard at Old Trafford as he battles back from a hamstring injury and a virus that left him in hospital for a period last week.
"He trained with us but I think he felt some more pain and the club didn't want to risk him," he added. "Of course we need him but the most important thing is to be healthy and to be prepared for the next games. We need every player fit."