Micah Richards opens up on 'aggressive' Chelsea player who was the 'most annoying' player he faced

Micah Richards has given a fascinating insight into the opposition player that "annoyed him most" on the pitch.

The former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender endured some tough outings throughout his 14-year career. He names Arjen Robben as being someone who was tough to come up against.

Clint Dempsey, who recently re-enacted his scuffle with Richards from a 2007 clash between City and Fulham, was another but Chelsea legend Didier Drogba will always top his list.

After becoming their club record signing when he joined from Marseille in 2004, the prolific Drogba would go on to score 164 goals in 381 appearances for the Blues.

He established himself as one the Premier League's greatest players, and even returned on a free transfer in 2014 before lifting the Premier League title in his first season back.

So what was he like to play against? Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast alongside Gary Lineker, Richards explained what it was like to face Drogba.

When asked what opposition player annoyed him most on the pitch, Richards replied: "There was Drogba. Dempsey. Arjen Robben... but I'd have to say Drogba.

"He was so strong. He was so aggressive. You'd touch him and he'd go down so easy. I always told him but he used to buy the fouls, get his big arms up and then wink at me and say, 'I got you this time!'".

Richards has previously said Drogba was a "nightmare" to play against.

"As soon as you leaned on him he would fall over, but he was so strong," he told the Match of The Day podcast. "Just when you think he’s switching off he just peels to the back – I found him very difficult to play against."

Richards did give him credit for his time at Chelsea. In fact, the former England international named Drogba's return to Stamford Bridge as the best in Premier League history.

“Returning and coming back to win the league – it’s not just the influence on the pitch it’s off the pitch as well," Richards added. "If you come back as a legend as Drogba did and win the Premier League - the influence he had was massive.”

Image credit: Getty

Lineker, meanwhile, named former Arsenal defender Martin Keown as the opposition player that annoyed him most.

"I only played against him a few times towards the end of my career, but my god, he was annoying. And now I work with him. A certain Martin Keown," he laughed.

"I love Martin to bits now and he's a lovely guy but my goodness me, he'd pinch you on the side. Honestly. He'd be all over you and was really aggressive. He was slightly insecure and still is, to a degree, in a very nice way.

"Lee Dixon always tells the story. They were two or three down after 20 minutes. Martin kept shouting, 'Dicko, dicko!' and in the end, he said, 'What!' Martin then asked, 'How am I doing?'"