Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has praised former boss and current Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri, thanking him for kick-starting his career.
Ranieri was at the helm at Stamford Bridge from 2000-2004 but was sacked after just one year of ownership by Roman Abramovich but Lampard says he did plenty for the players in his tenure there.
"It'll be very special to see Claudio again," he said in The Guardian in regards to the upcoming Chelsea versus Juventus Champions League clash.
"I love the man. If it wasn't for Claudio, I might not be where I am now.
"He brought me to the club, improved my game and showed me another side to the game.
"As a West Ham boy, I didn't know the continental style and the way to live my life.
"He brought me here and showed me those ways, and I've got nothing but thanks for him for the way he helped my career.
"He made John Terry captain at a young age, signed Gallas and bought Petr Cech at the end. He took us to the Champions League semi-final and was a huge part of what we went on to achieve.
"No one's got a bad word to say about him around the place, which shows you what a good man he is. I'm very pleased at how well he's done at Juventus."