Gervinho, eh?

If I was to ask you what the stupidest thing he managed to do while he was an Arsenal player, you’d probably answer with something involving Bradford or his hair.

Well, you’d be wrong.

It seems that, when he was at Arsenal it was Gervinho who phoned Eden Hazard in order that Didier Drogba could convince him to sign for Chelsea.

Chelsea's Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard looks on during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in London on May 3, 2015. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK
Chelsea’s Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard looks on during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in London on May 3, 2015. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK

Speaking to the Mirror, this season’s PFA Player of the Year and, quite probably the reason Chelsea won the league this season, said

“I didn’t want to go to Chelsea because I wanted to play the Champions League and they were sixth in the league.

“I was convinced when they won the Champions League in 2012.

“At the time, Roberto Di Matteo really wanted me, they had Juan Mata, and Oscar had been bought. I was told: ‘You’ll see, Chelsea will play football’.

“Gervinho called me and said: ‘Someone’s on the phone’. I didn’t know who it was but it was Drogba, he wanted me to sign.

“I was flattered, he was maybe the best striker in the world. In my head, I wasn’t going to sign, but in the end I was very pleased with my choice. I didn’t speak to Abramovich. I don’t know why coach Garcia wrote that in his book.”

Garcia claimed that the Chelsea owner had personally convinced the Belgian to sign for his club by offering to triple his wages.

Gervinho and Drogba are, of course, international teammates and although there is no timeframe given for the phonecall, we can assume it was when they were both with the Ivory Coast.

The former Arsenal man knew Hazard from their time at Lille together where they spent two seasons in the same side.

Lille's forwards Gervinho (L) and Eden Hazard (C) celebrate at the final whistle of the French L1 football match Paris Saint-Germain v. Lille at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on May 21, 2011. Lille won the French championship. AFP PHOTO/BERTRAND LANGLOIS
Lille’s forwards Gervinho (L) and Eden Hazard (C) celebrate at the final whistle of the French L1 football match Paris Saint-Germain v. Lille at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on May 21, 2011. Lille won the French championship. AFP PHOTO/BERTRAND LANGLOIS

Of course, there’s nothing to say that Drogba wouldn’t have been able to find Hazard’s number for himself, but did you really have to dial the phone for him Gary?

Really?