Didier Drogba will call time on his playing career after the 2018 United Soccer League (USL) season to focus on other projects.
The four-time Premier League champion scored nine goals in his first season with Phoenix Rising as they finished fifth in the Western Conference.
As well as being Phoenix's star player the Ivorian is also an owner of the club, and it is his off-field ventures that the 39-year-old wants to concentrate on going forward.
"I think next year will be my last season," he told RMC. "There comes a time when you have to stop.
"I need time for my other projects. It's good to play, but at 39, it holds me back a bit."
In nine years at Stamford Bridge – over two spells – the forward scored 164 times for the Blues, including a crucial goal and the winning penalty as they won the Champions League in 2012.
