Born: 20/3/84
Nationality: Spanish
Club: Chelsea
Fernando Torres career is a bit of a roller coaster, but nonetheless he is a player that is regarded as one of the most dangerous strikers in the world. Chelsea bought their man from Liverpool in January for £50million, a record for the Premier League, and has only scored one competitive goal for Chelsea, and looking a shadow of the player he was before at Liverpool. He started his career at Atletico, but joined Liverpool at the age of 23 and he was a remarkable success. Torres has brilliant pace, and his finishing was the best in the division that season, only to be beaten by Ronaldo of Manchester United.
Despite winning Euro 2008, with him scoring the winning goal, and winning World Cup 2010, his club career isn’t as successful. His seasons with Liverpool and last season with Chelsea has given him no trophies to celebrate. He struggled to fit in well at Chelsea, and some fans labeling him ‘The £50million statue’. In Chelsea though, you have one of the best teams in world football, and despite Torres not playing his best, Chelsea still managed quarter finals in the Champions League, and 2nd in the Premier League, as Manchester United piped them in both competitions. If Torres can regain his Spain form from 2006-2008 and his Liverpool form before 2010, then who knows what Chelsea can achieve?
Torres, like all players, has his weaknesses. His technical ability is not up to scratch with the likes of Spanish team mates like Xavi, Iniesta and many more as his passing often goes astray. Torres also is a player who gets injured too much, and more often than not it’s his hamstring which lets him down. Injuries have hindered his football in the past year, which is maybe the reason for his form declining. A top of his game Torres though, is one of the deadliest strikers in world football. His last game where I recall him being his normal self was for Liverpool, against Chelsea ironically, where he scored two goals, and the second was a fantastic finish.
Torres relied a lot on pace in the way he plays football, so he may have to adapt his game as he gets older. Chelsea have invested hugely in this striker, and this season he’ll need to score goals and play well on a regular basis. New manager Andres-Villas-Boas seems to be the great motivator, and could man manage Torres back to his best. Only time will tell, but Fernando Torres has been a great player in his career, but sadly, it seems, the best part of it has already finished. Can he prove us wrong?