Rio Ferdinand has named Fernando Torres among his most hated Premier League opponents, sharing a story about the Spanish international leaving him needing stitches in his foot.
Former England and Manchester United defender Ferdinand won countless trophies at club level, regularly getting the better of some of the league's best strikers. However, Torres was one of the few opposition strikers to get the better of United's defence - most famously when Liverpool beat United at Old Trafford in 2009.
Torres played his last Premier League game in 2014, with Ferdinand hanging up his boots the following year. The World Cup winner certainly left his mark on the centre-back, though, sometimes literally.
"I didn't like Kevin Davies when I played against him. I didn't like [Luis] Suarez, I didn't like [Fernando] Torres," Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel.
Ferdinand was then asked by a fellow presenter about Torres specifically, and revealed the Spaniard stamped on his foot during a game.. "I was playing, and the ball was at the other end, and we'd had a few tussles in the game," the ex-defender said.
"The ball went up the other end and he just stamped on my foot, no ball about anywhere. I went in at half-time and took off my boot - that's the worst thing I could have done, taking off my boot - and I had to get stitches and an injection and I went back out and played, but for ages it was killing me."
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Ferdinand's assessment of Torres came after he was asked about the opponents he hated facing the most. Many of those he despised on the pitch were very different in person, though.
"I hated Robbie Savage," Ferdinand said. "I'm mates with him now, he's a lovely guy, I love him."
"I hated [Mario] Balotelli. He did a couple of things I didn't like, with the fans and that, and I thought he was rude. But then I chat to him now and he's a lovely geezer. I'll see him after and we'll always be respectful, [but] he was a different animal on the pitch."
It's not the first time Ferdinand has spoken about Torres, with the pundit mentioning him during the 2021-22 season during a discussion of Liverpool's best strikers. Suarez also featured in the conversation, having come up against the England international towards the end of Ferdinand's Man Utd stint.
"A defender playing against all of them, Michael Owen keeps you up later than any of the others," he said. "I played against Torres, played against Fowler. I've not played against prime Salah, that's the difference.
"If we're talking number nines, Suarez was a top player and a great player but I just think in Michael Owen's best season or two he'd give you more sleepless nights than all of the others."
