Fernando Torres: Lost in the blend

He was signed by the Premier League club Liverpool from Atletico Madrid for a club record transfer fee. He went on to become Liverpool’s first player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995-96 season to score more than 20 goals in a season. If you are still scratching your heads and floundering to come up with the name of this renowned striker then let me not stretch your distress as I am equally eager to introduce you to him. It’s Fernando Torres!!

The Spaniard has ruled the footballing world for an appreciable period. It is a task of considerable difficulty if you are to analyze his achievements since the start of his profession. Flying through his youth career, he seemed destined to make a mark in the world of football with a stint of about 6 years in the youth team of Atletico Madrid. His first season in La Liga for the Red and Whites came in 2002-03 when he scored 13 goals in 29 encounters with his team finishing in the 11 spot. By then, he had managed to grab the attention of a few European giants like Chelsea and Liverpool. But it was only in March 2008 when Liverpool finally notched the striker for a club record transfer fee of £20 million.

The fabulous striker Torres, that we all know of, is purely due to his phenomenal performances with the Reds. The No.9 was a perfect fit at Anfield as every fixture that followed drew the striker towards breaking records. The Torres-Gerrard duo had turned into one of the best pairs in the Premier League and was a key force in the Liverpool wins. The fact that he finished second to Cristiano Ronaldo for PFA Footballer of The Year award and set a new record of the most prolific goal scorer in a debut season in England speaks for itself. The Spaniard’s emotional attachment at Anfield was too bloomed as it was evident with his denial of any move away from the club. The media speculations were finally vindicated when Torres moved to Stamford Bridge for a staggering £50 million.

The tale that followed is a familiar chapter to almost all the football fans. He was constantly criticized as being past his best as he failed to register an appreciable consistency in his performances. His debut season with Chelsea saw him score just the one goal against West Ham in a total of 18 appearances. In the seasons that followed, his performances were never reminiscent of the extraordinary Torres that had ruled the record books at Anfield. A moment of respite was never in sight for the striker as he continued to feature in goalless streaks. When a managerial change was introduced at the Bridge with Benitez holding the stick, much was expected from the striker with regards to his successful spell with the manager at Liverpool but hopes were continually quelled with his lackluster performances. Chelsea, in dire need of a striker, bought in another Spaniard Diego Costa for 2014-15 season and loaned out Torres to Milan. While Costa is busy proving his worth with a remarkable start to his Premier League career, Torres is yet to become a regular starter for the Italians.