This interview was posted on the official site yesterday:
Fernando Torres believes the years he spent playing alongside Steven Gerrard were the finest of his career to date.
gerrard torres
The pair formed an intuitive partnership during the Spaniard’s three-and-a half-year spell at Anfield and at times during that period they proved one of the most electric combinations in European football.
And as the Liverpool skipper reached a landmark 600th appearance for the club, the current Chelsea No.9 spoke of his immense gratitude to Gerrard for the way he influenced his game.
“I think it’s an amazing achievement for him [to reach 600 games] and it is very well deserved,” said Torres.
“I enjoyed playing next to him for three and a half seasons. It was probably the best time I have had on a football pitch. I am who I am now thanks to him because he showed me the way.
“So I am happy for him and I am sure that he will play much more than 600 games for Liverpool.”
During his time at Anfield, Torres prospered from Gerrard’s vision, his movement and the Huyton-born midfielder’s ability to deliver a killer pass.
And when asked to explain what marked Gerrard out as such a special player, the Spaniard explained: “He’s a winner. A captain.
“He is the kind of player that everyone loves. He helps all his teammates and he certainly helped me when I arrived at Liverpool. I think he is the type of player that everyone should have at a club.
“Hopefully everything is going very well for him.”
While he has many fine memories of Gerrard the player, forged through his indomitable partnership with the skipper, when asked to name a ‘great Steven Gerrard moment’, Torres plumped for an event which took place when the Spaniard was 21 years old and scoring goals for Atletico Madrid.
“For Stevie and for all the Liverpool fans, when they won the Champions League after coming back from 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan was a great Steven Gerrard moment,” he said.
“I think he should feel very, very proud of that achievement. But there are many more great things he has achieved. I think if you go to Liverpool and ask the people there, everyone will have a different memory.”
http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/torres-my-debt-to-stevie-g
Not surprised really to be honest, he’s admitted to having a hellish last season at Chelsea, i would imagine a lot of soul searching went on and realised the grass wasn’t quite as green as he expected it to be and probably looked back far more fondly on what he has left behind.
He may not have realised his ambitions with us, but i’ve no doubt he loved playing here for the majority of his time, we gave him the platform to mature into a top drawer player. I’m sure if he were asked honestly would he rather be here competing for silverware or Chelsea he would say here, but he couldn’t see that happening so took a very difficult and subsequently controversial decision. I think this wrestling in his own mind is what led to all those bizarre comments which appeared on the surface self justification as to why he was moving, almost as if he was trying to convince himself rather than anyone else.
I still like Fernando. He was a great player and is exactly what we are missing. I would take him back in a heartbeat!
Joe Payton is a Liverpool fan who used to be obsessed with Torres and like to write about it!
“He was a great player” – Correct, but the key word there is “was”.
“exactly what we are missing” – He’s an out of form striker lacking in confidence, i.e. exactly what we don’t need.
Someone has rose tinted specs on…
Think he was forced Out for financial reasons by Hicks/gillet. I beliebe Fernando when saying he has felt more affection to LFC than to Chelsea. Sad he is not here anymore.
why cant we sign petition to ask him to come back. i know it’s probably much more complicated that that. but at least it would be a symbol and a way to show the club and el nino that we love them .
Pisss oufffff. No true red still loves torres
Dirki is correct,but it was the ‘new yanks’ that forced him out by delaying incoming transfers until Torres finally,(in the last few minutes of the transfer window!),decided to put in a transfer request! HENRY & Co got what they wanted ; 50mil!
Right! Those who don’t want ihm anymore should ask theirselves why understandable disappointment has become rejection.
take on loan if they pay half his wages, seems the going rate.
can we have him back please!
Ben, I think he is still a good striker, only the belief and confidence is gone. Bring him back to Anfield and he will certainly remember those days, he wont disappoint. I think he, Suarez and Gerrard can do a good job
He lost his way. A homecoming would perhaps be the best thing for him as a person. but he is part of the machine now, only he may save himself, but we do not have the money for him…
Back to Athletico to lick his wounds?
Suarez Torres partnership would still be the ultimate!
Nowhere near the player he was.
Dont want him back.
I’d take him back in a minute.. Liverpool loved him..fact is only rafa Benitez has maximised his talent on the pitch.
I would definitely take him back in a heartbeat! We’re currently not in a position to be arrogant about it. I believe he would find his form if he came back. We all make mistakes and don’t want to be judged for it – he should get the same respect. Yes, as fans we adored him but it was not a one-way street – he earned that adoration for most of his tenure at LFC.
Would I? In a heartbeat!! But he’d have to apologise to the supporters first and explain EXACTLY why he left. He broke a lot of people’s hearts, he’d have to explain why.
He’s had a bad time of it with the Chavs, but he’s still a top quality striker. Him and Suarez together would be a great partnership. All those chances that Suarez creates that go begging (Jonjo’s miss against Newcastle as a recent example). Torres would bury them.
He has the ability to be in the right place at the right time, an eye for a pass, can be a great poacher, as well as shoot from distance and head the ball.
Yep! He is exactly what we need at the moment.
Love Torres n still eagerly wish he scores for Chelsea..of cos not to start this week against us.
However, the current playing style do not suit him.will not fit in
The Torres of 2 or 3 years ago I’d take back, and so would every other team in the world, the Torres of the last 12/18 months, no thanks.
While his relationship with fans is terribly bad, I don’t thing that the relationship between him with LFC players are the same as the fans though, so if he come back to LFC (for free is a bargain) I think he will be well connected with our players, unlike some new players they never knew about.
Take Torres back ..a big Yes without doubt , he made a mistake as all human beings can make , a wrong emotional choice , He is RED through and through , forgive him and take him back !!!YNWA
In a word, no. It’s like asking an errant ex back after she has ditched you thinking the grass was greener. Now she is not who she was, and nor are you. I cannot see how it would work.
Yes right now.
dream on !
He needs to come home. Has never looked at ease in a Chelsea shirt. Deep down, I think he knows he made a mistake.
If he came back I think peoples attitude would change. It would be a massive decision for Torres himself to come back. He would return becuase he loved the place and no one would begrudt that.
He would also become a Liverpool player again and we won’t slag off our own unless their shite. Torries is class and suited Liverpool in his time here. he regrets the way he left but things weren’t right in his head.
Torres & Suarez will be OK but he insulted the fan by swapping to an English club but can still be forgiven if truly he wants to play for us but we most not pay more than 10m for him.
“No true red still loves Torres” – Shut up lad, its only true reds who appreciate what great players have done for this club!! Its only a new thing for divvys to jump on a bandwagon an start hating former players who have given fans some of there best days home and away.
Torres is still a very good player, and would score plenty next to Suarez!! However, he wont be back!! He plays week in, week out at a team challenging for the league and are in the champions league…. because they’re the champions league holders!! He did love it here, but he took a decision to leave to play in the champions league!! And were not going to qualify this year either!! Be realistic!!
It’ll be a great feeling to see Torres in a liverpool shirt once again cos Torres’ playing manual is still at liverpool.
what David #21 said… also, i would not like the club to pay more than 10-15m for him
I’ve heard people say that it’s not that he’s lost it per se, but that his form for us was in fact the anomaly in his career. Look either side of his Liverpool career; before he was good but no one expected him to be that good and now he’s just slightly better than average striker.
It’s a romantic notion that he could come back and do the biz, but Liverpool need to be looking forward, not backwards.
He won FA Cup and Champions League with them. Not bad at all!
LFC only won League Cup last season! So…
IMO, I don’t want him back.
Of course. Every supporter acknowledge legends of their clubs. But only true fans will forgive any of their ex-players, even Judas. Well, as long as he wants to play for Liverpool. Nobody is gonna beg for his return.
And if he desires to play for Liverpool considering out state at the moment, it would only mean that he has the passion for the game and not the greens.
Suarez was intended to be paired with Torres anyway, so if Suarez and Torres could play together, why not?
As a fan I has begrudged toward Torres, but nothing is permanent, nothing is impossible. He could be Red again and could be a legend in the future? Let say we could choose between Torres and hum, Villa (or another striker they never played with LFC players before), which one would you prefer?
Ian Rush once left, and came back…
Look torres is always going to be a Liverpool player,and just like that-‘Ian Rush once left’- But cam back….
It will never happen although would love it to see him with his tail between his legs begging for forgiveness.
Personally I would rather see Alonso back in a red shirt.