Liverpool hero John Aldridge is backing Fernando Torres for great success at Anfield.

Aldridge, who had a spell in Spain with Real Sociedad, told liverpoolfc.tv: "As a former striker I was watching Fernando Torres' performance very closely at Aston Villa last week and I liked what I saw.

"His all-round attributes were excellent. In fact I saw similarities in his performance to that of one of his opponents tomorrow, Didier Drogba.

"A key part of Chelsea's success has been their ability to play balls to the front men and seem them make something out of nothing. Torres did this on several occasions last weekend.

"He could have taken a few chances but he had no right to have them in the first place because he made the most of those opportunities for himself.

"I liked the way he held the ball up, put himself about, chased down defenders and wanted to get on the end of everything.

"The link-up play with Dirk Kuyt was also excellent. There are already signs of a flourishing partnership which is something Liverpool have lacked for years.

"I see Peter Crouch and Torres working just as well together. While Kuyt can play as a foil for Torres, the Reds number nine would play a different role alongside Crouch and probably help Peter play further up the park.

"It's still early days but there are so many options available for Rafa now, it bodes well for the rest of the season."