The QPR defender is former England and Manchester United captain…
Ahead of their game tonight, Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck has admitted that QPR’s Rio Ferdinand is one of his biggest influences in football, though he might still poke fun at him on the Loftus Road pitch.
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Former Manchester United player Welbeck came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford while Rio Ferdinand built himself into one of the best defenders in the Premier League at the same club, admitting the pair still speak regularly on the phone.
The 24-year-old though, said he wouldn’t be able to resist having a joke at Ferdinand’s expense if Arsenal triumph in their match tonight.
He was quoted in the Mirror as saying, “It could happen. Sometimes things are said on the pitch that people won’t see at home. There’s a bit of banter on the pitch as well.
“Me and Rio are pretty close. I still speak to him today. Coming through United as a young kid, Rio was there for me a lot giving advice, as were all the other older players. It will be good to play against him in a competitive game.
“It’s always good to be competitive. You don’t really need any extra motivation – you always want to go out and get that win, beat your man, and you always want to get the better of whoever you’re playing against.
“Having that relationship on the pitch with somebody you know quite well means you want to beat them even more.”
Welbeck is expecting QPR to put up tough resistance against Arsenal as both sides battle at different ends of the table, with the R’s dropping into the relegation zone following Aston Villa’s 2-1 win last night at home to West Brom.