Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

that has helped him.’

What role has Rafa Benítez had in Torres’ development?
     
    ‘Benítez is a manager he’s benefited from. I’m not saying that those he had before at Atlético didn’t try, but more than that, he’s now getting a more comprehensive training and he has matured.’

To be alongside a midfielder like Gerrard has helped him to grow as a player?
     
    ‘Yes, I think so. It’s clear that Gerrard has brought a lot to his game but Torres is also giving the Reds a lot more possibilities, particularly to the players behind him. Fernando has great value – his speed and his running off the ball give options to Liverpool’s game. He’s a Number 9 that any midfielder would want to have in front of him.’

What has English football brought to Torres?
     
    ‘It’s brought different ways of understanding the game, which is important – although now there is little ‘native’ football, it’s more a mixture of styles. Nowadays one doesn’t talk of a true English style. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester (United) and Liverpool themselves have lots of foreign players. Yes, I think that this coexistence between English and Spanish football has helped him in his development.’

Briefly, what are the differences between English and Spanish football?
     
    ‘The two are very competitive and they are clearly dominant in Europe, at least at the moment. In any case, I don’t see any great differences.’

Fernando’s technical qualities?
     
    ‘He’s a player who has a dominant physical presence, who is very fast and a great goalscorer. He probably doesn’t have a great technique but he does things that are unexpected …’

For example?
     
    ‘Hitting the ball very hard, a sudden burst of speed … and then his ability to improvise in front of goal. Anything to surprise his opponent. He’s not a very orthodox player technically but overall he is in excellent shape and has scored some amazing goals.’

Since his arrival at Liverpool, do you think he has improved in certain technical respects?
     
    ‘Undoubtedly. His time at Liverpool has enabled him to acquire better technical skills. This improvement has been good for him and for the other Spanish players. That speed he has must be accompanied each day by building a better technique and that’s what Torres has done. Quality? To play in the footballing elite where he is playing, in the team he’s playing in now, he wouldn’t be doing it if he didn’t have quality.’

Human qualities?
     
    ‘He’s a modest lad, very normal and gets on well with his team-mates. He’s a nice lad, yes, very nice. He has a very stable life and that’s good for footballers.’

As national team manager, what advice would you give him?
     
    ‘The advice one normally gives to a striker. In the national side, Fernando has some defensive duties to fulfil because they benefit greatly the rest of the team and then there are the attacking duties of a player who knows how to maximise the possibilities for all the players behind him. His speed, his movements, his mobility and his ability to lose his marker are essential in order to give our midfielders the best options.’

Before Euro 2008, there was a lot of debate about the national side’s way of playing – lots of short, horizontal passes – and that of Liverpool with their rapid movement of the ball from one end of the pitch to the other. The conclusion was that Spain’s slower style would give Torres less space and therefore fewer opportunities to score. What do you think?
     
    ‘In football there isn’t just one way of doing things – it’s a mixture of everything and I believe Fernando knows how to play in space as well as play with short passes. Fortunately, the national side mixes the two, which is the ideal.’

The role of Torres changes between Liverpool and the national side?
     
    ‘No, I don’t think it changes much. Our group is pretty integrated in that everyone has their role and, without doubt, Torres is one of the most important players in the national side, for sure.’

How do you remember his goal in the final of Euro 2008?
     
    ‘I think it’s the culmination, the final phase of a move involving the whole team. He knew how to score a quick goal and finish well in front of the keeper.’

Which player does Torres resemble?
     
    ‘I don’t know really. I can’t think of any players who remind me of him or who resemble him. I think he has a very individual way of