Gary Cahill has claimed that the signing of Didier Drogba has given everyone at Chelsea a confidence boost ahead of the new season.

Jose Mourinho took the opportunity to bring the free agent back to Stamford Bridge as part of his plans to add more firepower to his squad, and Cahill believes that the decision has plenty of benefits.

"I was excited by the rumour even before it was announced. To have it confirmed was fantastic," the England defender is quoted as saying by the Evening Standard. "He will give the club and certainly the squad a huge boost. Didier is both a goalscorer and a huge personality and brings both to the club.

"It's a great combination to have a scorer and a big character in the dressing room, someone who has been around and done a lot of things in the game. He is a role model at the club and a great figure to have in what we are trying to achieve this season."

Drogba scored 157 goals in an eight-year spell with Chelsea before leaving after the club's Champions League triumph in 2012.