Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck is looking forward to playing against his former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand when the Gunners take on Queens Park Rangers tonight.
Welbeck, a Manchester United academy graduate, played over 100 games for the Red Devils before his move last summer to north London following the arrival of Louis van Gaal at the helm of the three-time European champions.
Since his move to Arsene Wenger’s side, Welbeck has made 21 Premier League appearances and has scored four goals to help the Gunners stay in the hunt for a spot in the Champions League.
Ferdinand was another player to leave Old Trafford in the summer, as he arrived at Loftus Road, although the defender’s move has not been as successful as Welbeck’s and the 36-year-old has made only ten league appearances.
Following the appointment of Chris Ramsey as manager, Ferdinand has played in the last two games and Welbeck is looking forward to the opportunity of facing his friend and former team-mate when the two sides go head-to-head at Loftus Road tonight.
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“Me and Rio are pretty close”, Welbeck told the club site.
“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.”
Welbeck added that playing against a friend and a former team-mate will act as an extra motivation for him.
“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.
“However, having that relationship on the pitch with somebody you know quite well means you want to beat them even more and sometimes there’s a bit of banter on the pitch as well.”
A win for Arsenal tonight will give a strong boost to their chances of finishing among the Premier League top four come the season’s end, with the race looking to be one which will go to the wire.
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