Thursday 28 April 2016 15:01, UK
Frank Lampard and Dider Drogba won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and a Champions League together in what was a golden era for Chelsea. But they are team-mates no longer.
The duo both moved to MLS last summer and received a positive reception. However, their success since moving to the league has been contrasting.
Only injury denied Lampard the chance to play against former Blues' team-mate Drogba for the first time, and with the Ivorian's Montreal scoring a late equaliser to deny Lampard's New York City all three points last night, we assess their time in MLS so far and look at what's been said about them.
How have they been getting on?
Frank Lampard
In 2015, frustrations from New York City FC fans were made clear before Lampard's arrival as he decided to stay at Manchester City until the summer rather than play for the brand new MLS franchise from the start of the season.
The sense of annoyance remains even into his first full season at the club.
Injuries plagued Lampard's start and he did not make his debut for NYCFC until August 1 as a late substitute.
The former Chelsea midfielder scored three times in 10 appearances while also getting one assist as his side failed to reach the MLS Eastern Conference play-offs, finishing the regular season in eighth place.
It took Lampard until September 16 to record his first goal in a 3-0 win over Toronto FC.
Before the start of the current 2016 campaign, Lampard told Sky Sports his hope of achieving great things in his first full season at New York City.
But injuries have disrupted his campaign once again after he picked up a calf problem early in pre-season. It means he has yet to play a single minute so far in this campaign.
Patrick Viera had hoped to have him available for Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Montreal Impact but, speaking after the game, said there remained no timescale for his highly-awaited comeback.
"We don't want to put any date because it would not be fair to him," Vieira said. "He's working hard, he's working well. When he will be fit, he will be in the squad."
Didier Drogba
Former Chelsea ace Drogba won the hearts and minds of Montreal fans as soon as he set foot in Quebec. He was mobbed by supporters at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, and he hit the ground running on the pitch.
The 37-year-old scored 12 goals in 14 regular season and play-off games for Montreal.
His goal-scoring form, combined with his hold-up play, helped lift Montreal from their mid-season slump to a third-placed finish in the Eastern Conference.
In the play-offs, the Impact beat arch-rivals Toronto FC in the knockout round 3-0 - Drogba scoring one - before losing to Columbus Crew in the semi-finals.
Pre-season was unsettled with rumours surrounding the Impact talisman's future, with strong suggestions in January that Drogba would make a return to Chelsea in a player/coach capacity.
However, Drogba confirmed on Twitter that he would return to Montreal to play his first full season at the club.
While his start to the campaign was delayed after not playing on turf, he has been slowly re-introduced to the line-up.
He first appeared on March 19 as a substitute against FC Dallas before next coming on against Chicago Fire just under a month later for 40 minutes. In those 40 minutes, Drogba scored a sublime back-heel goal to get himself on the 2016 scoring charts.
The former Ivory Coast international made his first full appearance against Canadian rivals Toronto FC last weekend, playing 90 minutes in the 2-0 loss.
And with that game kicking off a run of three matches in one week, Drogba travelled with the team, started the game and created the assist for the injury time equaliser.
What they've said
Frank Lampard (Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the 2016 season): "I'm confident actually [about the 2016 season]. I think we've got a good squad and I think we are going to add to it and change it further. Generally, I hope we'll have a good season and the play-offs are a must for us."
Didier Drogba (Speaking after Montreal's win v Chicago on April 16): "We wanted to pull off a great result here. We wanted to win. We're top of the conference, and we have to show more ambition on the road. This win does us a lot of good."
What their coaches say
He's a real champion and he's going through a difficult period.
New York City head coach Patrick Vieira: "When you are talking about a player of his [Lampard's] calibre, it's always better to have him available to play games, I'm feeling for him because he's a real champion and he's going through a difficult period, because of course he wants to be on the field, he wants to train and to help the team."
Montreal Impact head coach Mauro Biello: "He was a big part of the success of the team last year. It's important for Drogba to get minutes. It's about getting his rhythm and being available for us going forward."
