Manchester United vs Liverpool is one of the most highly anticipated match-ups in English football.
Many duels have taken place at both grounds over the years, and former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed which player he hated playing against.
That man is Fernando Torres.
The now-retired Ferdinand revealed on his own FIVE podcast that Torres was a tougher opponent than Ivory Coast brute Didier Drogba.
Ferdinand and Torres would never shy away from a contest, and it made for brilliant viewing.
“Torres was hard, I was talking about this the other day. He was quick, he was strong, aggressive, ran in behind, did all the stuff you didn’t want,” said Ferdinand.
“I was talking to [Rafa] Benitez about him actually, and he actually was a nasty guy sometimes on the pitch. Great player. He stamped on my foot once at half-time I had about four or five stitches in my foot, the ball wasn’t even there.
In the same instalment of the well-known podcast, Ferdinand’s friend and ex-teammate Patrice Evra also suggested Torres was a more difficult player to face than Chelsea’s Drogba.
“I didn’t have to deal that much with them, but even with the header I was comfortable with Drogba. But with Torres sometimes he would run between the centre-back and left-back, those clever runs. So I would pick Torres, but Drogba hurt us a lot,” the Frenchman said.
Most supporters forget the talent that the Spaniard had, with attacking prowess being a weak point in Liverpool’s game plan when he arrived in 2007.
He was rewarded for his work with a third place ranking in 2008’s Ballon d’Or, behind the two that have dominated the accolade for years: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Listening to two greats of the game placing Torres in such high authority reminds you of just how brilliant the striker was.
