"I wouldn’t sleep the night before" - Leonardo Bonucci names Chelsea legend as the strongest striker he's ever faced

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci recently identified Chelsea legend Didier Drogba as the strongest striker he's ever faced in his footballing career. The Italian powerhouse confessed that he wouldn't even catch any sleep the night before a game against the former Blues No.9.

Bonucci and Drogba have faced each other on multiple occasions, with one of the notable ones being in the Champions League back in 2012-13. The Ivorian was representing Galatasaray when they came up against the Old Lady and made his impact felt by finding the back of the net in a 2-2 draw.

The iconic forward has already hung up his boots but Bonucci, who is now in the twilight of his career, hailed him as the strongest striker he has ever played against. The Italian also noted that Atalanta's Duvan Zapata and teammate Dusan Vlahovic (when he was still with Fiorentina) gave him a tough time on the pitch as well.

“I think it was Drogba," the centre-back said when asked who is the strongest striker he’s ever faced. "I wouldn’t sleep the night before a game against him.

"The same goes for Atalanta‘s Duvan Zapata, I’ve always been concerned by his physicality. Then Vlahovic when he was playing for Fiorentina,” he added.

It goes without saying that Didier Drogba was indeed a huge force to be reckoned with during his playing days. The Ivorian spent the brightest part of his career at Chelsea, where he carved a reputation for himself as one of the finest strikers in Europe.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, he made a whopping 381 appearances across all competitions, recording 164 goals and 86 assists to his name. He also claimed multiple honors with the English giants, including one Champions League crown, four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three EFL Cups, and four Community Shields.

The Ivorian was last seen in action for MLS outfit Arizona United. He announced his retirement from the game on December 18, 2018, at the age of 39.

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Leonardo Bonucci's numbers for Juventus so far this season

The Italian is still going strong.

Despite already being in the twilight of his career, Leonardo Bonucci remains a key figure in Juventus' defense this season. Although limited by a muscular injury, the Italian has still managed to wrap up decent numbers.

So far, he's made 16 appearances for the Bianconeri across all competitions, recording two goals to his name, including one goal in 10 Serie A games and another goal in six Champions League matches.

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the Old Lady haven't had the best of starts to the season. They currently rank seventh in the Serie A table with 32 points in 23 games. They'll definitely be counting on Bonucci's experience as they try to overturn their poor start.