The Chelsea striker has been one of the Premiership’s best players this season, after initially failing to justify the £24 million the Blues paid Marseille for his services in 2004.

"We were interested in him when he played in the French Second Division with Le Mans, before he went to Guingamp," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.

"We went to watch him when he played in Le Mans a couple of times.

"But it did not happen at the time."

He added: "He has done extremely well because he is a player who has come out very late and that means his motivation had been tested before and he kept going in the lower leagues.

"That is a good education because when you come up there [the top league], you do not give up any more and you know that to be in there is a change you have to enjoy and that you have to give everything because he knows what it is like to be down there."

Drogba is one of the favourites to land the PFA Player of the Year award, but Wenger believes the prize should go to Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba would be my one and two,” he said.

"You do not expect Ronaldo to score so many goals and he can provide too.

"But as well I have huge respect for what Drogba has done.

"He has scored in some very big matches also he has played in nearly all the games.

"It is very difficult to separate them really."

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