“I liken him, in full flow, to someone like Yaya Toure”
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has compared ‘fantastic’ Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek to Manchester City legend Yaya Toure.
The 25-year-old made his first Champions League appearance in six years as Chelsea secured a 1-0 victory away at Swedish side Malmo on Tuesday night.
The European champions moved a step closer to the knockout stages thanks to Hakim Ziyech’s second-half goal, following some terrific work by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Loftus-Cheek impressed in the Blues’ victory and prior to kick-off, ex-United centre-half and BT Sport pundit Ferdinand praised the midfielder, labelling him as a ‘fantastic talent’ before likening him to former City midfielder Toure.
Toure is undoubtedly one of City’s greatest-ever players, scoring 79 goals and registering 50 assists in 316 appearances. He also won three Premier League titles and the FA Cup during his time at the Etihad.
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“I love him [Loftus-Cheek],” BT Sport pundit Ferdinand said. “I’ve always known about him from friends at Chelsea.”
“He’s a fantastic specimen, first and foremost. I liken him, in full flow, to someone like Yaya Toure.
“He can intimidate players. When he turns and goes full pelt, it’s unplayable at times. As a centre back that’s one of your biggest fears.
“He’s a fantastic talent. He’s as comfortable in the wide areas of a front three as he is in front of the defence. You don’t get that with many players. The strings he has to his bow are beautiful.”
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel also praised the recent performances of Loftus-Cheek, suggesting that the ball is ‘very safe’ with the Englishman.
“He is a bit like the type of [Mateo] Kovacic. He likes to drive the ball. The ball is very safe with him,” Tuchel said.
“He is using his physical ability more and more. We took the decision to build up his energy at home so he becomes more robust.
“I didn’t know he had not played from the start in the Champions League for a long time but hopefully it’s a good thing!”
The Blues return to Premier League action at the weekend as they host Burnley at Stamford Bridge, looking to increase their lead at the top of the league.
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