So, what has been a long, and exciting, season draws to a close with Arsenal champions, four games early. There are obviously still issues to be settled with Champions League places up for grabs and the scrum at the bottom of the Premiership to avoid the financial calamity of relegation to the First Division.
There are still promotion and relegation matters to be brought to a conclusion from the play-off group in Division One to the base of the Third Division but two of the biggest games coming up involve our last two representatives in European competition, Chelsea and Newcastle, and it is the latter I wish to address, in the main, here.
Firstly I would love Chelsea to overturn their 3-1 deficit against Monaco and qualify for the Champions League Final, if only to give Claudio Ranieri the satisfaction of being able to plonk that beautiful big trophy on Roman Abramovich's coffee-table, before saying 'I wish to have my contract paid up, goodbye'.
But I am more confident of Newcastle getting a result in Marseille and reaching the UEFA Cup Final and that, in a round about way, brings me to my latest hero.
Like most folk who love football there are players I rate and players I rate above most, so, how refreshing to come across a 'new kid on the block' so to speak in the shape of Marseille's Didier Drogba.
Like many, I first clapped eyes on him when Liverpool were unceremoniously dumped out of the UEFA cup by the French side. But what occurred during Newcastle's hard-fought goalless draw against Marseille elevated Drogba to a new level, in my eyes anyway.
I like honesty and integrity, in football as in life, and I was full of admiration for Drogba when he challenged Shay Given for a high ball in the first leg, that neither of them were likely to profit from.
The Newcastle keeper, in safety-first mode, wisely palmed the dropping ball over the bar before crashing against the upright, with Drogba in close attendance, who promptly fell on top of him. When the striker extricated himself from the tangle his prime concern was not to see if he had been yellow-carded or to ask 'what have I done ref?'
No, Didier Drogba won my admiration for his genuine concern that Given was okay, an inquiry the Irishman responded to with a 'thank-you' smile.
Drogba's sportsmanship was further highlighted later in the game when he offered a physical challenge, strong but fair, that was penalised by the referee. Once again he checked to see no damage was done, apologised and accepted his punishment. What a star.
Not only does Didier Drogba play the game hard but fair, he plays it with a high degree of quality and sportsmanship. He also looks to be one of the best players in France, and when you look at what they've produced in recent years that's some pronouncement, pace, strength and an eye for goal. He would certainly be readily welcome over here.
And what was also pleasing from the game against Newcastle, when the papers came out the next day, plastered across the back-page was a picture of Alan Shearer climbing to head goalwards and climbing right next to him, trying to put the Newcastle skipper off his header was….Didier Drogba.
Say no more, I have another hero.
