Welcome back to Last Word On Football’s look at some of Liverpool’s most iconic figures. From players to managers, we look at who has an impact during their time at the club that no Liverpool fan will ever forget. Next up is a prolific striker and one of the best Liverpool goalscorers in recent memory, Fernando Torres.
Moving from Atletico Madrid in 2007, Torres was part of the Red’s Spanish revolution. He scored an incredible 81 goals in 142 games before a controversial move to rivals Chelsea. El Nino, as he was affectionately known, was a figure of rage for fans, but they have since forgiven his move.
Icons of Liverpool: Fernando Torres
Move to Anfield
In 2007, it felt like Liverpool was one world-class player away from dominating football. The Reds had just lost a Champions League final to AC Milan and were making real progress under manager Rafael Benitez.
Fernando Torres then made the move to Liverpool.
The former Atletico Madrid striker arrived for a club-record fee and immediately started to dominate. He almost instantly won over Reds fans with a goal on his Anfield debut.
Starting against Chelsea, Torres outpaced the Blue’s defence before slotting a wonderful strike into the back of the net. The fans at Anfield had a new hero to salute.
It just got better and better. He went on to score 33 goals in his debut season, the most he had ever netted as a professional.
He broke numerous records, including the most goals in a debut season in England by a foreigner and becoming the first player to score two hat-tricks in a row since 1946.
While the Reds didn’t win anything, they had an impressive run to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Torres was so well-liked that fans even gave him his own song.
But it was the following year when the striker really dominated. In the 2008/2009 season, the Spaniard struck up a partnership with Steven Gerrard that nearly fired the Reds to the league title.
There were some memorable moments including a 4-1 win at Old Trafford against rivals Manchester United. There was also a 4-0 win against Real Madrid at Anfield. Torres, who was a boyhood Atletico Madrid fan, celebrated wildly against Los Blancos when he scored.
But it wasn’t enough. In the end, United was simply too strong for Liverpool and they won the title.
This would be the last great Fernando Torres season.
The Injury
In 2010, Torres started to suffer from chronic knee pain.
He made the journey to Barcelona to see a specialist and was informed that surgery was required.
After the procedure, he missed the rest of the season and was rushed back in order to make the World Cup.
But he was never the same after he returned. His once lightning-quick pace was gone and his shot was no longer as powerful.
The Move to Chelsea
In 2010, Liverpool was a vastly different club then it is today.
Financial mismanagement by owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks had left the Reds with a debt of £237 million.
On the pitch, they were struggling under Roy Hodgson and found themselves in the relegation zone.
So when an offer came in for Torres from Chelsea, the striker asked the club to accept it. John Henry, Liverpool’s new owner, was in no position to reject £50 million. So the deal went through.
But fans were devastated. Torres had been like one of their own – some even considered him to be a Spanish Steven Gerrard. So when he made what felt like the ultimate betrayal, they turned on him.
There was an incredible twist in fate as Torres’ first Chelsea game was against Liverpool. Yet, the Reds had the better of him on that occasion as they came out 1-0 winners and the Spaniard struggled.
But the striker had arguably the last laugh as he won nearly every possible trophy with Chelsea, including the Champions League. In that competition, Torres made his mark as he scored the decisive goal against Barcelona. This strike is arguably more famous for an incredible Gary Neville reaction, who was doing commentary.
While he may have had incredible team success, Torres never came close to replicating his Anfield form and scored only 45 goals in 172 appearances.
Anfield Return
While Torres was relentlessly booed while playing for Chelsea, fans seem to have forgiven him. In 2015, he made his return to Anfield to play in a charity match. He was given a standing ovation by the crowd.
A fitting tribute for Fernando Torres, who did so much for Liverpool.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
