Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

them a shocker of a ball and they’ll manage to keep it under control. If you get the chance to have Xavi and Iniesta in one place and Xabi Alonso and Mascherano in another, it’s just the best thing.’

How are things with Gerrard?
     
    ‘I wish I could play alongside him my whole life. He’s a player I admired from before, but from being on the pitch with him you realise that he’s even better and greater than you ever thought. When he’s on the pitch there’s nothing to be afraid of and you know he’s always going to be there, lift the team when the going gets tough, and always give you a hand. And in the dressing room he gets 10 out of 10 because he always makes himself available and always has a word of encouragement for you. I remember first coming to Liverpool and after having my medical I landed in Madrid to say goodbye to the fans. The first message I got was from him. It said, ‘welcome to the club’, and he hoped I could help the team bag some silverware. I wasn’t even a Liverpool player at that point. I had gone through the medical but I still had to put pen to paper, and here he was welcoming me on board. It’s a nice touch that makes you see what a great captain he is. I never managed to transmit that to my team-mates at Atlético when I was wearing the skipper’s armband because I wasn’t experienced enough …’

How did you know it was him? Did you notice his number?
     
    ‘Not his number or what he was saying either!’ (laughter and applause from the audience). I was with Jorge, who had to translate for me, because there was no way I was going to understand.’

Can you tell us how you felt the first time you went through underneath the shield that says ‘This Is Anfield’ and came out onto the pitch?
     
    ‘The fact is that Liverpool is a club with nice touches, which really looks after its history, and in that sense it’s very similar to Atléti. It remembers its legends and the greats who made it a big club and that little sign, which isn’t much more than a picture in the tunnel, means so much for a lot of people and has ended up as something special. On the day when I was presented, when there weren’t any people in the ground, I saw it when I walked past it but it didn’t mean much to me. But on my debut at Anfield against Chelsea … while the crowd was singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” … boy, that’s when it sinks in that you are in a special place and that the sign is special too.’

Who has given you more as a trainer, Rafa Benítez or Luis Aragonés?
     
    ‘I think both of them have. I’ve been with Luis for a long time. Since I was very young and starting out he’s taught me the fundamentals, both on and off the pitch. I was seventeen and he had seen everything as a player and as a trainer, he had a lot to teach me and I had a lot to learn. Those were the days when I had to listen, learn and keep my mouth shut. And then with Luis I’ve won the national team’s biggest trophy in the last 44 years. With Rafa I’ve made a big leap forward in terms of quality. He’s taught me a lot of things and made me improve areas where I was lacking, and he still does that because he’s a person who doesn’t stop in his everyday life, even for one minute, and tries to improve you in every detail and every move, while trying to explain to you why. He’s obsessed with you doing things because you understand why, because you understand the reason he asks you to do them. He doesn’t say to you, ‘Do this because I’m telling you to.’ That’s Benítez. I hope I’m with him many more years so that he can keep teaching me and I can win silverware with him.’

If Rafa Benítez were to be chosen as trainer of Real Madrid, would you go with him as a player?
     
    ‘Nooooo! Nooooo!’ Murmur the fans.
    ‘Rafa’s got a contract, like I have, that runs up until 2014 and I honestly hope that scenario doesn’t come about and that he doesn’t leave, but if he did, I wouldn’t follow suit.’ (
Hearty applause from the seating area.
)

If Barcelona and Real Madrid made the same offer for you, which one would you go for?
     
    ‘I’d stay at Liverpool.’ (
Applause
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Which striker from the Spanish Liga would you take with you to Liverpool as a partner in the attack?
     
    ‘I’d say Diego Forlán but no … because then I’d be taking him off Atléti. (
Laughter again
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    ‘No … David Villa or David Silva. I wish they could come, it would be a great asset