The Career of Fernando Torres
He made his way into and out of La Liga, the English Premier League, and Serie A, but with 142 appearances and 81 goals for Liverpool, and fans who embraced him as their own, Fernando Torres is always remembered as a true red.
And why wouldn't they? His time at Liverpool was the most successful part of his career, and within just a year and a half at the club, he found his way into The Times's list of "The 50 greatest Liverpool players" and years later, he's still on every fan's list.
So, what got him to Liverpool, why did he move on to bluer pastures thereafter, and where is he now?
Let's have a gander.
The International Debut
Like most players, he made his way through the under 16 and other youth teams, eventually finding his way to the senior team. His international debut came in 2003 against the Portugal national team. His first goal, however, was against Italy in 2004.
After that, he was selected to represent Spain in the UEFA Euro of 2004 and later played a major role in Spain's qualification for the International World Cup. He finished the FIFA World Cup of 2006 as the highest goalscorer for Spain, alongside fellow Spaniard David Villa.
In the Euro finals of 2008, he scored the final goal at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, against Germany to win Spain the coveted title.
In 2010, Torres was also a part of the World Cup squad for Spain, despite his injury at the time. Spain went on to win the world cup that year, with a 1-0 victory against the Netherlands in the finals.
Spain continued their winning streak, with Torres playing a substantial role in the European Championships of 2012. With the most goals in the tournament, Torres was awarded the golden boot in 2012.
The Club Career: La Liga
Born in Madrid, Torres took to football at the age of five. Though he started off as a goalkeeper, it wasn't long before he began playing as a striker. Eventually, he moved on to play for Rayo where he scored 55 goals, earning himself a trial with Atletico.
After an impressive display, he was included in the club's youth system, progressing to the club's under-15 team, and later the main team, being named Atletico's captain.
His early career at Atletico Madrid ran from 2001 - 2007, where he had 244 appearances and scored 91 goals. In 2002-03, Atletico moved their up from the Segunda Division to La Liga, staying there for the rest of his career at the club.
Though he left to join Liverpool in 2007, he did rejoin Atletico in 2014 on a loan, until the end of the 2015-16 season. However, he ended up signing a one year contract in 2016 and then extended this contract in 2017, seeming reluctant to leave the club that made him.
Into the Premier League
In 2007, Fernando Torres made his landmark move to Liverpool for the price of £20 million, entering the English Premier League. Later in 2011, he was transferred to Chelsea F.C at a record-breaking fee of £50 million.
Let's check out the highlights of his career at both these clubs.
Liverpool (2007 - 2011)
His kicked off his first premier league match against Aston Villa on the 11th of August, 2007, where the reds scored a 2-1 win against the lions. Soon after, he scored his first goal for Liverpool at Anfield earning them a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
Later on, in September he also scored a hattrick against Reading in the League or the Carabao Cup. With a total of 46 appearances and 33 goals, his first season is statistically his best during his entire EPL career.
In 2008-09, he had a total of 38 appearances and 17 goals, in his third he appeared 32 times with 22 goals, and in his final season for Liverpool, he appeared 26 times and scored 9 goals.
His final goals for Liverpool were against the Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2011, where the reds earned their 3-0 victory away.
Chelsea (2011 - 2014)
On the 31st of January, 2011, Torres made his move to Chelsea on a five and a half year contract. His first appearance for Chelsea, against his former club, resulted in a 1-0 defeat.
His first season saw only one goal for 18 appearances, in April 2011 against West Ham United. However, he finished his first full season in 2012 with 11 goals for 49 appearances, and his second full season with 22 goals in 64 appearances and his final season with 11 goals and 41 appearances.
In total, he's made 172 appearances for Chelsea and scored a total of 45 goals. In contrast, during his time at Liverpool, he made 142 appearances and scored a total of 81 goals.
But that's just life at the premier league. Now let's take a look at Torres in Italy.
Serie A: Life at A.C Milan
After his stint at Chelsea, Torres joined A.C Milan in 2014. It was a two-year loan, where he debuted against Juventus. His first and only goal was against Empoli FC. Soon after, he moved back to Atletico on a loan and stayed until 2018.
In later interviews, he said he didn't feel valued at Milan, having not had consistent appearances in their matches.
The J1 League
After his final match at Atletico, Torres moved to the Japanese Professional Football League, representing Sagan Tosu. He scored a total of 6 goals for his 39 appearances for Sagan Tosu.
His last match was against Vissel Kobe where Sagan Tosu faced a 6-1 defeat.
Fernando Torres: Where Is He Now?
After an incredible career in professional football, Fernando Torres announced his retirement from professional football in June of 2019. It goes without saying that the reds won't ever forget him, but no other football fan will either.
You can now find Torres on Instagram and Twitter, where he congratulated his former team on winning their very first EPL title.
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