Liverpool striker Fernando Torres believes
Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho is the best of a bad bunch among
defenders in the Premier League.
Torres insists defenders' reliance on brawn over brain has
made his life in England easier than expected.
The 24-year-old found the net 24 times in the top flight in
2007-08 - the most successful debut season ever by foreigner in
goalscoring terms.
And he insists he met his toughest opponent in Chelsea's
Portuguese centre-half, who he rates above Carvalho's Blues
team-mate and England captaincy candidate John Terry.
"Terry is captain so gets a much higher profile. But he's only
secondary to Carvalho," Torres told The Sun.
"Ricky is superb. He has every quality that is needed."
Torres added: "The central defenders (in the Premier League) are
usually big, strong, aggressive lads.
"I guess it is probably because of these characteristics that
the majority think they can solve problems by getting tough with
me.
"But the truth is most of them lack defensive positioning as a
result of their reliance on strength and aggression and leave so
much space for you to take advantage of."