Torres: An Intimate Portrait of the Kid Who Became King

previous answers. The secret is his work, his attitude, his willingness to improve every day. He has listened carefully and resolutely applied what the technical staff at Liverpool FC have taught him in training. To mention some aspects that I consider fundamental, his movement and calm finishing have been key from my point of view.’

How has Fernando reacted to your orders?
     
    ‘I presume this refers to my advice, to the guidance we can give him for achieving his best possible progress. And to be very truthful, in this respect, I believe he reacts very well. He always listens and tries to apply the advice to his game in every meeting, in every training session and, finally, in every game.’

What has Torres brought to Liverpool’s game?
     
    ‘Once again, we’ll have to summarise. But I would pick out, basically, his ability to change the course of a match, his speed on the counter-attack and the fact that he poses a constant threat for rival defences in each and every game he plays.’

How do you explain how Torres has, over such a short time, become one of the players best-loved by the fans, who compare him with legendary players like Dalglish or Rush?
     
    ‘It’s not going to be me here and now who describes the philosophy of the Anfield terraces, the merits which the fans of Liverpool FC value most. But taking all that into account, his performance during the first year was spectacular, although in this second year, the truth is that Fernando hasn’t had much luck with injuries. Besides that, one is dealing with a footballer who is humble and works hard, and all that makes our fans very enthusiastic about him and in him they recognise – let’s say, they identify – yesterday’s values, today’s values, and the values that are always there in the ‘Red’ story.’

What is your assessment of his two seasons in the Number 9 shirt of Liverpool?
     
    ‘To give a brief assessment, without going into details and looking for the appropriate adjectives, I think the first campaign turned out to be excellent in every respect, as we talked about before, and the second, which has just finished, one would have to say it could have been better, although at the same time, and to be fair, you have to bear in mind the mitigating circumstances referred to earlier. Injuries have prevented any kind of continuity and that, as we all know, is fundamental for any footballer at the end of the day.’

What, for you, has been Torres’ happiest, his best moment with the Reds?
     
    ‘Obviously one would have to pick out some of the goals he’s scored. One is talking about a striker, and in this sense he’s brought a lot to the team, particularly during his first year. But not being Fernando, it would be difficult to choose one or two. It should be him and only him who can give an opinion on this. No one knows the feelings of Fernando Torres more than Fernando Torres himself.’

What has been, and what is, your relationship with Torres?
     
    ‘From my point of view, we are talking about a normal relationship, more or less like I have with the rest of the footballers. For sure, someone could probably say that I’ve talked more with him than some of his team-mates. But that’s due exclusively to the argument that I see the potential he has, and I try to help him exploit that to the full, for his own good, although also for his contribution to the team, which is the really important thing. He’s a great lad and it’s not too difficult to have a good relationship with him.’

What kind of person is Torres now?
     
    ‘If we have to talk about him in a personal sense, as the question requires, there probably hasn’t been much change. We’re talking about someone who is pretty similar to the lad that arrived just under two years ago – a bit shy, a very good team-mate, pretty humble and, above all, respectful. As you see, one can make out quite a lot of qualities in him on a human level as well.’

And finally, how do you see the future and next season for Liverpool and Fernando Torres?
     
    ‘With the optimism and hope that the situation demands. I think that as long as he stays injury-free, he could have another great season if he keeps working with the same humility, dedication and attitude that he has up until now. We have great expectations for Fernando and believe that he’s not going to let us down. He’s working on that and doing very well. Let’s hope that’s how it is …

Chapter 4
A nice