20 HANDY FACTS ABOUT FERNANDO TORRES

Hugh Larkin
28/05/2007


Fernando Torres is the Spanish striker has been linked with all of the current ‘Big 4’ clubs in the Premiership at some time or other and all the indications are that he’ll be the target of furious speculation again this summer.

1. Torres is nicknamed El Nino- ‘The Kid’, because of his youthful appearance and precocious rise to fame

2. He first played for Atletico Madrid as a 17 year old in June 2001- and scored in his second game

3. He was a phenomenally successful player at youth level. He scored the winning goal in the Finals of the European under 16 and under 19 championships. In the latter competition he was top scorer and voted player of the tournament.

4. Torres netted three times in last year’s World Cup in Germany

5. He grew up in an area of the capital that normally gives allegiance to Real Madrid but he has always been an Atletico supporter.

6. Torres is Atletico’s youngest ever captain, receiving the armband for the first time at just 19 years of age.

7. He has 40 caps for Spain and 14 goals at time of writing

8. Speculation was rife a few weeks ago that Liverpool was his future destination, when it was revealed that he had the words ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ on the back of his skipper’s armband.

9. He now has 71 goals in 169 games for Atletico and he helped them back to the top division in 2002.

10. For the past 5 seasons Torres has netted double figures in LA Liga, his best total being 20.

11. He did much to take Spain to the 2006 World Cup by scoring 7 times in 11 games.

12. Spanish coach Luis Aragones is quoted as saying Torres ‘never scores two goals the same’, alluding to the versatility he shows up front.

13. Torres is noted for his pace to unsettle defenders but he also has aerial presence, which explains much of his appeal to Premiership managers.

14. Atletico have a clause in Torres’ contract that says that if they sell him it must be for at least £27 million

15. Torres has 13 League goals this season and has been on the park for more minutes than any other player at the club.

16. On 14th May, the Atletico President was on Spanish TV and repeated that the club did not want to sell their key asset and added that he thought Torres would not want to leave his only club.

17. Torres was actually dropped from the Spanish squad in November after scoring only two goals from the start of the season. He was recalled in April.

18. He has been with Atletico- via the youth teams-since the age of 11.

19. Atletico have missed out on European competition for the past coupe of seasons. Qualification for the UEFA cup in the next few weeks could be critical to the player’s future plans.

20. Torres wears the number nine shirt and has a personal fan club know as the ‘F9T’.