Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

microphone in hand he introduced all his team-mates, inventing a few humorous lines for each of them, and then almost lost his voice during a six-minute audience participation routine, which made a million people go wild with delight: ‘It was an unforgettable moment for everyone, for them and for me. It was a moment of celebration and affection for my team-mates. We were all on a high and it just came out like that. Nothing was prepared, everything was improvised. The truth is I’m proud of having done it and that people have fond memories of it.’

And what are your memories of the winning goal?
     
    ‘I remember this huge suspense, as the ball kind of swept its way into the goal, floating through the air before brushing the net next to the post. Once we saw it was actually inside, there was an explosion of joy. We had put ourselves in front in a European Championship final after so many years and having suffered so much in qualifying. It was the best moment of those two years and the deserved result of a hard campaign.’

What was the hardest moment of Euro 2008?
     
    ‘The match against Italy was difficult. We suffered because we were up against a team that fought really well, typically Italian, but above all because there was a psychological barrier. The quarter-finals were where Spain always lost. It was the tensest moment but I think the football, in the end, was where we won it. If someone deserved it over the 120 minutes, it was Spain. We wanted to win the match, the Italians wanted a draw. We went to penalties and we went through in the way that Italy is used to going through and we arrived in the semi-finals on merit.’

Most countries envied Spain’s striker duo of Villa and Torres. Is it true that it was you who got them to understand each other better over a ‘fabada’ (an Asturian bean stew)?
     
    ‘I get on well with El Guaje and Fernando, I’ve known them both for some time. We met up with the families and they got to know each other a bit better as well. In the end the friends of my friends get on well with each other. It’s a source of pride for me, but I don’t want to give myself the credit – it’s normal that two good people get on well together. And the story about the
fabada
is true. El Guaje’s mother made it and we ate it after the match against Sweden and I can assure you we all enjoyed it.’

Talking of food, it seems that your wife’s tortilla (Spanish omelette) has helped Torres adapt to Liverpool?
     
    ‘I’m lucky to have a wife, Yolanda, who is a fantastic cook and a very good hostess. Fernando and Olalla live about 50 metres away. We like to meet up with them and other team-mates to have lunch, dinner, or just have a good time together. When you’re outside your own country, it’s nice to be with people from your own culture and to enjoy oneself as much as possible. We are a very homely family, we have two daughters, Grecia and Alma, and when friends come round we like to have a barbecue or watch a film. We also go out as a group and in Liverpool there are places that aren’t at all bad.’

What advice did you give Fernando to help him when he arrived?
     
    ‘Fernando is very good at getting his head round different situations and that’s why he’s adapted to Liverpool so quickly and so well. He knows exactly where things stand and is extremely mature for his age. He very quickly felt comfortable here, so much so that now it’s Fernando who’s giving me advice and not the other way round. When I arrived at Liverpool, it was Fernando Morientes who helped me a lot and I try to do the same with whoever comes, making an open invitation to visit me at my home, giving advice and making myself available for whatever they need.’

Did you ever imagine that Fernando would do what he did in his first season with the Reds?
     
    ‘I think that not even he expected it. To be truthful, no one expected it because he had some serious difficulties – a new league, new team-mates and a different way of playing. For those reasons, you have to give him a lot of credit for his 33 goals and I think that Fernando can feel proud of what he did.’

But this last season hasn’t been fantastic …
     
    ‘No, it hasn’t. Because first, to repeat what he did in the 2007–08 season was almost impossible and second, injuries haven’t been too much help for poor Fernando. I hope the next season will again be brilliant. I’m sure it will be.’

How do you rate the 2008–09