Remembering When Fernando Torres Was the Best Striker in World Football

Fernando Torres broke the hearts of Liverpool fans everywhere when he left the club in January 2011, for Chelsea of all places. He would go on to lead the Blues to a maiden UEFA Champions League success just 18 months later. Oddschecker, which compares football odds and offers, had made Bayern Munich and Barcelona the favourites for the famous ‘Big Eared’ trophy in 2012, however, Torres and his new teammates stunned both of them on their way to glory. 
 
But with time, that pain left by his departure has eased up somewhat, and the iconic Spanish striker has mended some wounds over the last few years, even appearing in a number of charity matches and testimonials taking place at Anfield. But the reason why the transfer was such a shocker was primarily thanks to the fact that, during his time on Merseyside, the former Atletico Madrid man secured his status as the best player in world football. 
 

Debut Campaign 

Following his arrival from the aforementioned Los Rojiblancos in the summer of 2007, El Niño would take the Premier League by storm, scoring goals left right, and centre. Torres’ move from the Spanish capital would cost Liverpool some £20m, which at the time was a whopping price tag. It wasn’t quite the £30m Chelsea would pay to secure the services of Andriy Shevchenko the year prior, however, the Ukrainian striker was a former UEFA Champions League and Balon d’Or winner. He was a proven commodity. Torres meanwhile, was not. 
 
He set about proving himself right away though. He would open his account ironically against Chelsea on his Anfield debut. That would prove to be the beginning of a goalscoring windfall that would fire Torres to the summit of scoring charts across the country, as well as firing his club back into contention for titles. He netted 33 goals in 46 games in his debut campaign as The Reds reached the Champions League semifinals; however, they still couldn’t manage better than 4th place in the Premier League. 
 
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5XjOFuQdw8 
 

2008/09 - Injuries Can’t Stop The Kid 

In the summer of 2008, Torres fired Spain to their first major international title in 44 years as they won the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland. He even scored the goal that won the trophy for Las Rojas, with his delicate chip over a prone Jens Lehmann enough to take the crown back to Madrid. And he would pick up where he left off once the domestic campaign would get underway. 
 
The 2008/09 season was one in which injuries reduced Torres to just 24 Premier League appearances. He still managed to bag 14 goals in that time, including braces against Everton, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City, as well as a goal in the stunning 4-1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Reds were finally title contenders once again however, as the season reached its latter stages, the strength-in-depth, or lack thereof, of Rafa Benitez’s side, began to show. 
 
They eventually finished second in the table, four points behind eventual champions Manchester United, and a run of ten games in the final eleven games wasn’t quite enough to rip the title away from one of their oldest rivals.  

Latter Years and Departure

 The following year, Torres suffered further injuries and was once again limited in his game time, making just 22 appearances in the Premier League. He would however go on to net 18 goals during those appearances, but Liverpool would begin to struggle for the first time under Benitez. A group stage exit in the Champions League as well as a seventh-placed finish domestically ensured that their Spanish Champions League winning manager would depart the club. 
 
That summer, Torres helped Spain to a maiden FIFA World Cup triumph in South Africa, and that success gave him the taste for more trophies. Roy Hodgson took over the reins at Anfield and endured a disastrous spell in which he was dismissed by the New Year. In came club legend, Kenny Dalgleish, however, the iconic Scotsman couldn’t change Torres' mind. 
 
El Niño had decided that he wanted to leave the club in order to win trophies. When Chelsea came and offered a British record of £50m, all that was left was for Torres to appear at Stamford Bridge and sign his mega-money contract with the Blues. It was a sour moment for Liverpool fans, however, Torres’ time at the Bridge was somewhat of a disaster up until that goal in the Nou Camp. And to make matters worse for Torres, his first game for his new club came against Liverpool at the Bridge, and the visitors won 1-0. Be careful what you wish for, Fernando. 

Written by Alan Spencer