Monday, March 20 2023 marks Fernando Torres' 39th birthday.
The former Spain international, who made the move to Anfield from boyhood club Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007 for a club-record deal, established himself as one of the most well-rounded strikers of his generation during a blissful three-and-a-half-year spell on Merseyside.
Nowadays, having decided to hang up his boots after a stint J1 League in 2019, the forward can be found heading up Atletico Madrid's U19s side and even made a return to Liverpool in October 2021 as Barry Lewtas' side locked horns with Los Colchoneros during the UEFA Youth League group stage.
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But while supporters of a belated generation may recall 'El Nino' as a Premier League 'flop' who failed to deliver the hype his £50m switch to Chelsea looked destined for in January 2011, others will instead remember the Spaniard as an elegant operator who enjoyed the prime years of his career at Anfield. His tally of 81 goals in 142 appearances for the Reds, aided by a somewhat telepathic understanding with Steven Gerrard, made him one of the most thrilling players Kopites have set their eyes on during the Premier League era.
Signed for £20m by Rafa Benitez in the hope of injecting genuine quality into the attack of Liverpool's 2006/2007 side, who were beaten finalists in that season's Champions League final in Athens, Torres propelled the Reds to a Champions League semi-final and a fourth-placed Premier League finish and fired 33 goals in all competitions during a remarkable maiden campaign in England. In doing so, the Spaniard become the first player since Robbie Fowler in 1997 to surpass the 30-goal mark.
Of his 33 strikes, there were three hat-tricks, six goals in the Reds' European run and notable solo efforts against Marseille and Chelsea. Although his debut season would end without silverware at Anfield, the summer of 2008 would see him rise to international stardom as he helped Spain claim their first major trophy in 44 years as they defeated Germany 1-0 in the final of the European Championships thanks to the Liverpool forward's sweeping dink over Jens Lehmann in the first-half.
Torres would score 48 goals across the next two-and-a-half seasons before departing for the capital as Liverpool entered a period of unrest off the field as Benitez was replaced by Roy Hodgson in the summer of 2010, six months before the forward's departure, and Fenway Sports Group's attempted acquisition of the football club saw the Reds at the centre of a lengthy court case during the off-season.
After scoring 45 goals in 172 appearances with Chelsea, which included vital goals on the way to the Londoners' Champions League and Europa League-winning campaigns, the Spaniard joined AC Milan on the loan until the end of the 2014-15 season. After his brief spell in Serie A, Torres spent three seasons at Atletico Madrid, before joining J1 League side Sagan Tosu in 2018.
In recent years, the Spaniard has gone viral for his incredible body transformation, in which he has evolved into a far cry from the lean prodigy who first donned the Anfield turf nearly 16 years ago.
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