Stoke City skipper Ryan Shawcross admits Bolton Wanderers captain Kevin Davies gave him a lesson on his Premier League debut.
Bolton's big centre-forward was the first striker that Shawcross faced as a raw 20-year-old making his entrance to the Premier League.
And Davies dished out a 'welcome to the big time' bit of bullying as he helped himself to one of the goals in a 3-1 win.
The pair meet again at Wembley today and Shawcross told the Sunday Mirror: "I'd had a really good year in the Championship, winning promotion, and was really looking forward to starting off in the top flight.
"Let's say it was a tough game. I'd heard about his reputation, but sometimes you just don't realise how tough it can be.
"Don't get me wrong. There was nothing unfair. But he is a very good player, very strong, and he gave me a lesson. Looking back I wasn't ready to play against somebody of that quality and physical strength at that time. It probably happened for the best. After the game the manager talked to me and suggested I step back for a few weeks and do some work to build myself up physically and that's what I did.
"It was nearly two months before I got back in the side.
"But thankfully since then I've hardly been out. I suppose you could say I was beaten up, in the right way, but good things come from bad. It's funny because it's two years ago, but I look back on that game as if it was yesterday because I can remember how down I felt after it.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to be ready to be a Premier League player after all. But I've come on in leaps and bounds and I feel quite comfortable now.
"We've played Bolton a few times since and done well so those demons are completely buried."
