Fernando Torres articles & interviews

[Craig_H]

Sky:
How does he feel to be a Liverpool player and why was he so keen on coming to Liverpool?

FT:
I'm very happy to be joining the club, it's a fantastic opportunity for me to be joining one of the best clubs in Europe, a club with a winning mentality, a fantastic history and a great present. I think you don't get opportunities like this every day of your life, it's a train I couldn't let go by, I didn't want to miss it. I've decided that after so much time in Atletico, this was the moment. I think it's been important the confidence shown in me by both the manager and the club and all those things helped me make the decision.

Sky:
How much of an influence was Rafa Benitez on Fernando's decision to come here?

FT:
I hadn't known the manager personally before, but from the first moment I managed to speak to him, it was important the confidence shown in me by him. Obviously a club like Liverpool have the opportunity to sign almost anyone in football so it's something which fills you with a lot of surprise and at the same time, a lot of pride when they show interest in you and that was fundamental, that confidence shown.

Sky:
We understand it's a very large transfer fee, probably a club record. Does he feel any pressure because of that and also the fact that he's been given the number nine shirt that has so much history at Liverpool?

FT:
I think that the figures that have been mentioned are bound to bring a little bit of added pressure, but I think when you sign for a club like Liverpool you know and you've got to be ready to bear any sort of pressure whatever that pressure may be. And of course, the importance, I'm very much aware of the importance and the history of the number nine and the importance that's attached to wearing it. I know the demands are high on me as a footballer, but i believe in hard work, i know that expectations are high but with that hard work, i believe i can work hard to try and fullfil those expectations.

Sky:
How difficult do you think it might be to adapt to the style of the Premiership?

FT:
I think that Liverpool are a slightly different case when it comes to settling in to play in England as a Spaniard. I've spoken to teammates already and there are lots of them obviously from the Spanish league and they'll be able to give me the benefit of their experience, so i think any settling in period will be made easier by the fact that there are a lot of Spaniards here.

Sky:
We understand, is it true that he turned down Chelsea last year?

FT:
I dont think it really does any good to speak about things that have happened in the past. I just want to repeat what i said in the press conference this morning, that as soon as i heard of Liverpool's interest, that was the only offer that i wanted my club to consider. I'll just repeat what i said this morning.

Sky:
What does he know about the other strikers here and who is he looking forward to playing with?

FT:
I think whenever you go to a new club for the first time, you've got to go with a kind of humble attitude and a modest attitude and you realise you've got to work from day one, and that's what i'll be doing, i'll be working from day one, i'm looking forward to beginning training and getting to know my teammates more closely. You know at a big club like Liverpool there's always going to be compeition for places but what you have to do is make sure that you're in a position to make sure that it's difficult for the manager and work hard and ready like you're other teammates. Obviously all the teammates here are of a high quality.

Sky:
Just finally, a lot of people will think that Fernando's the type of player who will score a lot of goals at Liverpool and help them push for the Premiership title, does he feel that Liverpool will be a team that will be capable of winning trophies next season, in particular the Premiership?

FT:
I think that Liverpool are the type of club that is always hoping and aspiring to win trophies, their history and their recent past is proof of that and I'll be certainly trying my hardest and giving my little bit, making my little effort to try and improve that record and improve our chances and improve the team a little.

Sky:
Gracias Fernando.

[Guest]

Did you get that off KT ?

[Marky]

http://www.est1892.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=551571#post551571

[Tee]

Gracias DJS

[cannotmakeit]

[Craig_H]

Sky:
Rafa, you've had to wait quite a while to be able to spend some money and bring a player in like Fernando. You must be very happy that he's finally here.

RB:
Yes, i am really pleased, we were working the club, the people in the club were working and trying to find the best players for us and then Fernando was our target and ok, we needed to work hard. We know that it's expensive but not as much as people say and also we know that we are bringing a young player, great person and a great future.

Sky:
Do you think that you're effectively buying a player with great potential and that's what the money is an investment in?

RB:
Yeah, i think that financially and also on the pitch, i think in both cases we are doing a very good business. He is a good player, he's the player that we wanted, the kind of player that we need with passion, with everything for scoring a lot of goals. I am not thinking about 20 goals each year, i prefer to have four strikers with 15 goals, and he can do all these things. And also, he's 23, he's a player that we know, with the strikers in the market, is a very good investment.

Sky:
But you can guarantee that fans will expect he will score 20 goals a season, or something like that. Is it part of your job to try and take that pressure of him and make him feel that he can play a natural game?

RB:
Question is, if you know him, he has experience. He is a player who was playing in first division when he was 17 years old, then i think that he can balance the pressure and he knows he will be an important player. He was the captain in Atletico Madrid and they were trying to win trophies in the last years, and he was always under pressure. Then i think he can manage with the pressure, for sure we will help him, the staff and the other teammates, they will help him, no problem.

Sky:
The fans, as i say, will expect goals. But you see him as an all round player, do you see other skills that he has that make him an important part of your side?

RB:
Yeah, he has power, he has pace, he can win in the air, he can score goals, he can dribble it and he can do a lot of things. The kind of striker he is for us, he is different to the other strikers we have in this moment. We bring in Voronin, and him, both players, they can play between the lines, they can run behind the defenders and i think that he is another kind of player, could be a big difference.

Sky:
We saw another Spanish striker come in a couple of years ago in Fernando Morientes, who was said to have an excellent track record and had scored a lot of goals in europe. Similar in a lot of ways to Fernando, but in what ways is he different and what ways do you think he will be a success as opposed to Fernando Morientes being not quite such a success?

RB:
In both cases i can say that both wanted to come, that's the first thing. Both players reduced their wages because they had big wages and ok, it's a big contract for us but he wanted to come and he reduced his wages and it's very very positive. And these both things are similar, the difference between Fernando and..er..Fernando...is that he is younger and desperate for winning trophies, he wants to win everything. When i started talking to him, he always said it's a dream, i want to go, then he was ready, mentally he was ready and i hope that physically he'll be ready. And he's different also to Morientes because he's quicker, he's stronger, Morientes had other skills, he was a very good player, a finisher, but Fernando is a player that can run behind the defenders, can play in wider areas, or can go in between the lines to receive the ball, so a different kind of player, but both, they have a very good mentality.

Sky:
You've brought in Fernando, you've also as you mentioned, brought in Voronin, that means you've got five strikers. Does that mean we might see one of your strikers leaving Anfield before long?

RB:
Yeah, we were working also in these things during the summer, the players they know this is my idea. I read today in the press that Crouch is one of our strikers, and it's clear i said to him he must fight for his position the same as Fernando or the other strikers. But i like to change players, you know. The rotation policy, then i like to have good strikers and if you have different options, you can manage in different games.

Sky:
There's been a lot of talk of the possibility of Craig Bellamy leaving, is that a possibility?

RB:
He knows my idea, he's our player in this moment, then ok, we will see what is the future, but it is clear that we have new players here and it will be difficult for some of the players.

Sky:
But at the moment, you're happy for him to be here and he's still a part of your plans?

RB:
Are you talking about Torres? (smiles)

Sky:
Talking about Bellamy.

RB:
(laughs) Erm...I am really happy with Torres here. (grinning)

Sky:
Right ok, we'll discuss that one another time maybe. Do you expect to be in action in the transfer market again soon?

RB:
Yeah, we are, as always, working, trying to find good players for us. We have Leto, Lucas and Voronin and now Torres and we'll continue working because it's clear that we need to improve, we want to be contenders, because you'll say to me next question 'with torres, can you be contenders, can you fight for the title?' and i think that we need something more, it's clear that with Fernando we will improve, but if we can find other players good enough for us i think that we will have better balance, and when you talk about the premier league, you talk about nine months and we need a big squad.

Sky:
Is one of those players Gabriel Heinze of Manchester United?

RB:
He's playing now in the American Cup and is a Manchester United player.

Sky:
And after that, will you be getting in touch with Manchester United about him, do you think?

RB:
We have some names, but especially, we are looking for wingers.

Sky:
Thank you very much Rafa.

RB:
Thank you.

[Roboklopp]

Ace

[ronan]

bring on those wingers .

[LFCman]

I love it how Rafa takes this piss out of journos.

Cheers DJS.

[Meursault]

oh dear. Rafa and the rest of Anfield should expect Bellar's sms-es in the next few hours...

[burntyoungster]

jesus, we've ****ing signed iggy pop.

[dom9]

[Charlie_B]

Offal's first interview

In his first interview in English football, Fernando Torres talks to Liverpoolfc.tv about signing for the Reds, goals targets and his famous You'll Never Walk Alone captain's armband.
You've just put pen to paper Fernando, how does it feel?

I am very, very happy. This was the biggest decision of my footballing life but I've come to a winning club. This is a club of champions - one of the biggest there is. I now want to play my part in that and be a champion too and help the club progress.

How much do you know about Liverpool Football Club?

Obviously growing up in Spain you are aware of all the big clubs there, but you also keep an eye on Europe, and Liverpool always catches the eye. It always did for me. I had older brothers who'd tell me about the likes of Keegan and Rush, but the first players I remember seeing as a fan are players like Robbie Fowler. My main memory is seeing Liverpool's incredible record in Europe, and I certainly followed that closely.

When did you first hear of Liverpool's interest in you?

It was just a couple of weeks ago, it's all happened very quickly. I was aware of offers from other clubs but as soon as I knew Liverpool were interested I said to Atletico: "Look, please listen to this offer." There were many clubs being banded around. Offers go directly to Atletico, so I wouldn't necessarily know about them, but as soon as I heard about Liverpool, I told them that Anfield was the only place I was interested in.

Why did Liverpool stand out for you?

I'm aware of the history and how special this club is. The tragedies that have happened have made the bond between the fans and the club so strong. Liverpool just ticks all the boxes for me. There's team spirit and a desire to win instilled by Rafa, and then there's my new teammates like Pepe and Xabi. They, as well as Luis, have always spoken very positively about life here in Liverpool. I didn't speak to them directly before signing because it all happened so quickly. I've been getting planes here, there and everywhere. My other half has spoken to Pepe's other half though. She said: "We're here for you. Let us know if there is anything you need."

Tell me about the captain's armband you displayed during a game against Real Sociedad last season, with You'll Never Walk Alone written on the inside?

There is a group of my mates, about five or six of us, and we've all grown up supporting Liverpool. Because they are all so committed to Liverpool, they've had We'll Never Walk Alone tattooed on their arms. It's changed slightly because it's a symbol of our friendship as well as our support for the club. Obviously I couldn't have that tattooed on my arm playing for Atletico, but they gave me this armband as a present for my last birthday.

Why have you decided to leave Atletico now?

The time is right because Liverpool have come in for me.

Was it a difficult decision to make?

You have certain chances in life. You can't afford to miss them because they only come around once. I've been with Atletico since I was 10, I've grown up as a person and a player there. But we haven't been getting the opportunities to play in Europe and I think I now need to take that step up.

Torres signs for LiverpoolHow big a factor was Rafa Benitez in your decision to come to Merseyside?

The first time I spoke to him, I was convinced. Just to know Rafa has confidence in me and trusts me is massive. I feel honoured because Liverpool are such a big club, they could have signed anyone. I am very pleased they have chosen me!

What do you know about the fans here in Liverpool, and how much are you looking forward to playing in front of the Kop?

I've spoken to many people about it and watched many DVDs, but you can't possibly know what it feels like to play at Anfield until you have experienced it. I am dying to play in front of the Kop.

Have you set yourself a goals target for your first season?

Not really, but I suppose the first target is to beat what I got in Spain. My average there was 15.

Finally, what message would you like to send to Liverpool fans?

I just want to say thank-you, because from today, day one, people have been trying to meet me at Melwood. I've also seen some at the airport. They all seem to be behind me, so I want to say thank-you very much.

-----------------------------

Dunno whether it's already been posted like, haven't seen it round yet.

Some of the things he's saying are very positive, can't wait to see him start playing for us,

[cobain]

****ing bollocks!

Am watching the press confrence through E-ST and the tape is totally ****ed! It's like watching a press conference and pressing mute button all the time.

And I pay for this ****e? They really have some morons there ...

[mchaggis]

How big a factor was Rafa Benitez in your decision to come to Merseyside?

The first time I spoke to him, I was convinced. Just to know Rafa has confidence in me and trusts me is massive. I feel honoured because Liverpool are such a big club, they could have signed anyone. I am very pleased they have chosen me!