The ex-Chelsea star said he was delighted to have returned to Europe with the Istanbul-based club after his brief and unhappy spell in China.

At Galatasaray, Drogba will link up with Ivory Coast team-mate Emmanuel Eboue, who he said he also went to for advice before his move.

"Before signing, I talked with Eboue a lot. I talked with Mourinho and some other guys," Drogba told Galatasaray TV.

"Everybody said that Galatasaray is a very big, passionate and unique club.

"Being at Galatasaray with (Wesley) Sneijder means a message to Europe's big teams. I want to win Champions League again. We'll do our best (in our last 16 clash) against Schalke.

"I'm fit now and I will be ready to play in a very short time."

The Ivorian explained the reasons why he elected to wear the number 12 shirt while thanking his new fans who came in droves to witness his arrival.

"I chose number 12 because number 11 is in use and number 12 reminds me of my daughter's birth date," he said.

"The fans were amazing when we arrived at the airport. I thank them all."

Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim is delighted at the arrival of the Champions League winner and is sure he will improve his side.

"I'm very happy at signing a player of Drogba's quality," Terim said.

"He is a very important striker. We have a strong squad and Drogba will make it stronger."