The Burnley attacking midfielder and forward spent his youth idolising Blues legend, and fellow Ivorian, who later became a mentor.
The young Cornet watched countless Chelsea games on television after he and his family moved to northern France, leaving their home in the suburbs of Abidjan and a country racked by unrest and civil war.
Now a fully-fledged international himself, with 23 caps for the Elephants, the former Lyon star has lit up the Premier League – at least for Burnley fans.
Since his move from the Groupama Stadium in the summer, Cornet has scored four in five Premier League games and would love to show his inspiration just how far he has come, when the Clarets travel to Chelsea on Saturday.
'I watched Chelsea a lot because my idol played there – Didier Drogba,' Cornet, who is doing well getting to grips with English, told the Football Daily.
'He has done a lot for me. [He told me] I have to work hard in the week, recover and play hard again, every week.'
It is significant that Cornet chose Drogba as a role model. Of course, there is the Ivory Coast connection, but in addition, Cornet has always seen himself first and foremost as a forward.
At Burnley, Cornet has been reborn as an attacker, converting 50 per cent of the chances that have come his way from an advanced role on the left and centre forward, finally giving the Clarets some upward momentum this term.
Latterly at Lyon, he was confined to left back for the majority of his appearances, with occasional cameos further forward.
It has been frustrating for the 25-year-old. Ever since his childhood, Cornet has been a goal scorer.
He arrived in France, aged seven, settling in the small village of Ars-Laquenexy, with a population of just 1000 inhabitants and he immediately impressed the locals with his football, according to Quentin Demange, a local club official.
'We weren't that surprised he went to Burnley,' said Demange. 'He is a physical player who can be successful in the English league
It was a spectacular season at JS Ars-Laquenexy, but inevitably the scouts at Metz, only six miles away, were quick to hear about Cornet's prodigious talent and he was snapped up by the Ligue 1 outfit after one season in 2003-04.
During the next eight years, Cornet worked hard at the Metz academy, where former Manchester United and Everton striker Louis Saha also learned his trade. When not playing he watched Drogba on TV as his compatriot banged in 157 goals in 341 appearances for Chelsea from 2004 to 2012, his first spell at Stamford Bridge.
In 2012, Cornet made his Metz debut aged just 16, before making 14 mostly substitute appearance in Ligue 2, as the club won promotion in 2013-14.
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