Defenders like Nemanja Vidic do not come around often.

The Serbian colossus was an absolute beast in his prime, a pragmatic master that was built like a tank.

During his peak years at Manchester United, the Premier League's very best players were thwarted with ease by Vidic.

He made defending at the highest level look easy and the Serbian man-mountain was also one of the toughest competitors the English game has ever seen.

Vidic was never one for play-acting or exaggerating an injury to con the officials.

The legendary defender even avoided doing so when he was kung-fu kicked in the midriff by an opponent...

In fact, when Vidic was once booted by a member of an opposing team in such a manner, it was the other player who actually came off second best.

That man was former Manchester City defender Micah Richards and the incident occurred during a Manchester derby at the Etihad in the 2007/08 season.

Richards attempted to win a 50/50 duel against Vidic with a reckless high foot, but it was the Englishman who was the one left writhing in agony on the pitch.

United's Serbian behemoth simply rose to his feet with a cheeky smile on his face, while Richards had to receive treatment from the City medical team.

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Poor ol' Micah - who is not exactly small in stature himself - certainly picked the wrong guy to mess with.

"When Vidic left his home, he told his dad 'you're man of the house now'," one football fan humorously posted in the comment section.

A second added: "When you kick Vidic. You're the one thats gonna get hurt. What a beast"

Another fan quipped: "'I have a sneaky suspicion Vidic is Chuck Norris' offspring."

It really was wise to avoid messing with Vidic during a game, as it was incredibly rare that the other player would emerge victorious.

Unless that footballer was Fernando Torres, of course...