Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs braced for a 'world-class' performance from Fernando Torres

Manchester United centre-half Rio Ferdinand has said that he is expecting a world-class performance from Spanish striker Fernando Torres when Manchester United and Liverpool clash on Sunday.

"People jump on the bandwagon. He is a great player and has proved that to everybody. Two months ago, everyone was saying what a world-class player he is and one of the best strikers in the world, so to become a bad player overnight just doesn't happen,” The Sun quoted Ferdinand, as saying.
 
"I heard the pundits the other night hammering him. He has been injured for a long period of time and is just on his way back. You cannot expect him to be the same straight away. I'm under no illusions that if I play, I will be coming up against a top-class player,” he added.

Teammate Ryan Giggs agreed with Ferdinand ahead of one of the English game's great fixtures at Old Trafford.
 
Giggs, 36, said: "Torres is always dangerous. I was watching him against Birmingham and he wasn't flying but he was still dangerous. He's a world-class player. When he gets chances he puts them away, so we have to be more wary of that than ever."