Monday, February 16, 2009

Torres Reveals Secret To His Success

Fernando Torres believes he may never have fulfilled his full potential if he had stayed in La Liga.

The Spain international has proved a revelation in the Premier League, doubling his goals ratio from his time at Atletico Madrid.

A nomination for the prestigious Ballon d'Or in December cemented his reputation as one of the world's top players.

Torres admits the improvement is in no small part down to the fact his game is more suited to English football than the Spanish league.

The 24-year-old told FourFourTwo magazine: "English football has been good to me because of its characteristics: it's fast, direct and there are very few stoppages, and that suits my game more than Spanish football. My natural qualities - the speed, the power - fit the Premier League.

"I play as a number nine up alongside the centre-backs. If I played there in Spain, maybe it wouldn't suit me: I would hardly see the ball, I would feel like I wasn't in the game. But it is so quick in England, you know you're always going to get the chance to run in behind the defenders.

"Liverpool's game is based on the team, on strategy; it's a very strong, well-organised team. Hitting other teams on the counter-attack with space in front of us suits me perfectly."

Torres also thanks boss Rafa Benitez for opening his eyes to the tactical nuances of being a centre-forward.

"Rafa was looking for a striker with my characteristics - someone quick who could surprise defenders and get behind them - but I had to learn too," he said.

"For a lot of coaches the tactical side of the game doesn't matter that much but for Rafa it is fundamental; he is conscious of the way we set up, the movement, the organisation.

"I've learnt a lot. It's been a real pleasure for me to work with Rafa. At Atletico I played more on instinct, doing my own thing; here I have to learn about movement and positioning, about the team.

"One of the main reasons I arrived at the club was the desire to compete with the best and show that I was good enough to play for the club.

"The fact that the other Spaniards were here was great. The captains have been good too - Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia and Steven Gerrard have helped me from day one. And having Rafa made it easier to grasp the tactical side of things."

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