Wayne Bridge says a heated training ground bust-up between Andriy Shevchenko and Tal Ben Haim still lives long in the memory.
And it proved to be a painful ending for ex-Chelsea defender Ben Haim despite his penchant for ‘smashing’ into teammates.
The ex-England defender, who spent six years at Stamford Bridge from 2003 to 2009, witnessed plenty of intense moments during his time with the Blues.
When the team was in its pomp, tensions sometimes ran high, especially between Shevchenko and Ben Haim.
Recalling the incident, Bridge revealed that Ben Haim – who had a reputation for tough challenges – ended up on the wrong side of Shevchenko’s fists after pushing things too far in training.
Speaking on ‘The Dressing Room’ podcast with Joe Cole and Carlton Cole, Bridge said: “The best one I’ve seen was Shevchenko and Tal Ben Haim.
“Tal loved to smash people. I think there were a couple of incidents between them, I think Sheva gave him a warning.
“You know what Tal is like. Then there was another smash from Tal.
“They both basically ended up in each other’s faces. And the combo Sheva threw.
“Unbelievable. It was something like a jab, cross, hook, cross. Bang, bang, bang, bang! Game over. It was done mate.
“You just move on then, it was sorted. Tal just had to swallow a bit of pride and move on. And just don’t go near Sheva again!”
Shevchenko arrived at Chelsea in 2006 as a marquee signing, having previously won the Ballon d’Or at AC Milan.
However, his time in London was underwhelming, with just 22 goals in 77 appearances before he returned to Milan in 2008.
Ben Haim also had an even shorter-lived stint at the club, making only 23 appearances during the 2007/08 season before moving on to Manchester City.
But while neither player left much of a footballing legacy at Chelsea, Shevchenko certainly left an unforgettable mark on at least one teammate – literally.
Bridge spent time at Manchester City after his six years with Chelsea but spent a lot of it with loan spells at West Ham, Sunderland and Brighton before finishing his club career with Reading.
For England, his final appearance was in 2009 after he withdrew from international duty in 2010 following allegations regarding captain John Terry and his former girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.
And Bridge is no stranger to fights – be it on the training pitch or in the ring.
Bridge was due to fight KSI in the ring in a Misfits Boxing bout on March 29, but the former footballer withdrew after the YouTuber made a cruel jibe about Terry.
He wrote in a lengthy statement: “I’m sure a lot of you have seen what happened on Saturday night at the Misfits Boxing event. Firstly, I think it’s important that I explain my reason for accepting the fight.
“I always like to challenge myself. This felt like a good opportunity to go up against an interesting opponent on a big stage.
“I have always loved boxing as part of my everyday training routine.
“I was fully prepared to train hard and have some fun. Of course, I expected to face some criticism, but I feel like what was said on Saturday crossed a line.
“These are deeply personal comments that affect mine and other families involved in the situation. I’m a family man first and my priority is protecting them.
“My opponent is someone that many children look up to around the world, including my kids. I hope one day he will look back on this differently. I personally don’t want to be involved in these exchanges.
“I will no longer be fighting on March 29. I’m still looking out for my next big challenge and have some exciting things coming up in 2025. Thanks for all the love.
“The support has been overwhelming. I want my friends and family to know how special they are. Deep down I know this is the right thing to do.”
KSI has since lined up Dillon Danis for the fight and has apologised to the ex-Chelsea star.
