Leeds United skipper, Lee Peltier, has claimed that he is not scared of Fernando Torres, ahead of his side’s League Cup quarterfinal tie with Chelsea on Wednesday.
The Peacocks, who got the better of Ipswich Town 2-0 in the previous round, will lock horns with Rafa Benitez’s men at Elland Road in what could prove to be crunch Capital One Cup fixture.
The Championship outfit beat the in-form http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Everton-c13019 earlier in the competition, and have been a formidable force at their own backyard.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Torres-c13707.
The Spaniard, who hit the heights under Benitez once at Liverpool, seems to have responded to the 52-year old’s appointment the previous month.
Nonetheless, Peltier – a former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 player – refused to be intimidated by the presence of Torres in the opposition’s camp.
The defender said that he was wary of the quality and skill that the striker will bring to the field on Wednesday, but was confident of keeping him at bay.
“I don't fear him. Obviously I've got to be on my guard and play to the best of my ability against a top class player like that, but it brings out the best in you,” he told the reporters.
“He's been going through a sticky patch for whatever reason, but there's no doubt he's a top-class striker and he's proved that to the world. At any point he could score a goal.”
Torres, who was signed by the Blues for a staggering 50 million pounds transfer fee in January 2011, is yet to make a consistent impression at Stamford Bridge. In his 94 appearances for the club, he has only hit the back of the net 24 times.
Though not much has gone the striker’s way overall this season, Peltier opined that if anyone can extract the best out of the player, it is Benitez.
“He brought him over to the English game and Torres's best years were under Rafa,” he added.
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