When defenders saw the hulking figure of Emile Heskey readying himself on the other side of the tunnel, they knew they'd be in for a battle.
His team-mates would love him, as he would unselfishly hold the ball up, bring others into play by drawing his opponents out and laying the ball off.
But not only was Heskey a brilliant target man, he was also blessed with pace and even played on the wings during his career.
All in all, the former England international left defenders in a heap, bruised and bloodied from the battles they had with him.
Emile Heskey had an incredible career for club and country
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And after a career that spanned three decades, Heskey has faced some of the best in the business throughout his career in the Premier League and at international level.
Having played for Leicester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wigan, Aston Villa and Bolton, as well as accumulating 62 caps for the Three Lions, his CV is top notch.
Some defenders he faced include Chelsea five-title winning captain John Terry, as well as Manchester United's silky Rio Ferdinand.
And his early days with England even saw him come up against the legendary Lothar Matthaus, who Pele and Diego Maradona could not best.
But when asked by GB News who his toughest opponent was, Heskey admitted that Arsenal icon Sol Campbell stood above the rest - alongside his team-mate Martin Keown.
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Speaking on behalf of BetMGM, Heskey said: "Definitely Sol Campbell.
"Just because of his physicality which was matched by his footballing brain and ability, but I played against so many top-quality defenders.
“One of the hardest was Martin Keown. You had to be ready both mentally and physically for Keown because anything goes, it was always a battle.
Sol Campbell was the all-conquering defender for Arsenal
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"However, that was a part of the game that I thoroughly enjoyed, because I grew up in that era, so I was used to the battle from a young age, so I expected it and thrived in it.
“But I will say Campbell, as it was always him and I up against each other, two big bruisers going to blows for 90 minutes of football.”
Campbell might not get the respect he deserves sometimes - a formidable defender who had everything.
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Martin Keown also got a shout from Emile Heskey
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Physicality, pace, aerial ability, great on the ball and could turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye - in many ways an archetype for the modern defender today.
His controversial move from Tottenham to Arsenal in 2001 certainly soured many Spurs fans but saw him win the Premier League twice - including the famous 'Invincibles' season in 2003/04.
As Heskey mentioned, the two had some brutal battles over the years and he must have been thankful he got to play alongside him at international level.
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