William Gallas has admitted that he used to 's*** himself' when he came up against his former Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba.
The pair enjoyed two hugely successful years together at Stamford Bridge, winning back-to-back Premier League titles between 2004 and 2006.
But it wasn't until he left to join Arsenal that Gallas, who is close friends with Drogba, was able to fully appreciate just how good the striker was.
The Ivorian netted 32 goals in his first two years with the Blues before hitting top form in the season after Gallas had departed for the Emirates.
Drogba bullied defences up and down the country in 2006-07 and struck 33 times in all competitions. He also earned a newfound respect from Gallas.
'I was used to seeing him in training, but you know how it goes: you're never going at 100 per cent on the training pitch,' Gallas told The Athletic.
'So I never really understood why [Philippe] Senderos would just go missing in every match he played against Didier. But when I played against him myself in the Premier League with Arsenal, then I understood.
'He had something about him, a power I'd never sensed as a team-mate, an aura I had never seen before. Facing that, you just shit yourself. He was so intimidating that it rattles you.'