Chelsea's star striker Diego Costa has admitted that Blues legend Didier Drogba helped him settle in after his initial move to Stamford Bridge.

Drogba was never cold with me, says Costa

Big things were expected of Costa after his move from Atletico Madrid back in 2014, and he has proven a success with 51 goals in 103 appearances.

Like any foreign player he initially struggled to adapt to life in England, but luckily for him and the side, his arrival coincided with Drogba's return.

The Ivorian's experience and influence on the side proved crucial, and Costa admitted that the veteran striker helped him settle in at the Blues.

"When I arrived here he was never cold with me," Costa told the Evening Standard. "Quite the opposite."

He explained: "I wasn't exactly scared of him but he was such a legend who had helped the club grow and been a part of all that."

"He made history here so could have been dismissive of me," the Spaniard admitted. "But, no, he was always fantastic with me."

"I will always have fond memories of him and whenever I see him," the 28-year-old stressed. "I thank him. It's not always easy for someone with so much history to be in that position."

Costa added: "I was playing well, scoring goals, and he would support and motivate me. Whereas others might not have done the same. I take my hat off to him."

Costa hails 'quality' Drogba

Drogba will be considered by many as one of, if not the, best striker to have played for Chelsea, with a number of his 164 goals coming in incredibly important moments in the club's recent history.

Drogba spent a total of nine years with the club, and Costa praised his former teammate's efforts.

"I have always seen Drogba as the example to follow in terms of a centre-forward," he told Chelsea TV.

"He was strong and scored loads of goals and he was a quality player. Just watching him train helped me," he said. "Just seeing him, I was amazed."

Costa continued:"This is because – and I’m not making this up at all – I specifically used to watch Chelsea [before joining] who are obviously a big club, just to see Drogba."

Chelsea FC will take on Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday, February 12 with kick-off at 1:30pm GMT.

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Danial  Kennedy
Award-winning sports journalism graduate. Currently studying a PR Masters at the University of Sunderland. Writing for VAVEL since August 2014. Twitter - @ddkjournalism.