PLAYER PROFILE

Fernando Torres

Position: Forward

Height: 5'11

Weight: 12st 4lbs

Date of Birth: 1984-03-20 Madrid, Spain

Fernando Torres

Liverpool shattered their transfer record to sign Fernando Torres and unveiled the £26.5million forward in July 2007.

The 23-year-old striker put pen to paper on a six-year deal at Anfield and told the press he found the chance to play for Liverpool too good to turn down.

"It has been a difficult decision to leave my all-time club," he explained. "The Liverpool offer arrived and I told the club only to listen to that offer because that is the team I wanted to play for. It's one of the best, if not the best, clubs in Europe.

"It would have been hard for me to reject Liverpool's offer. It is a big leap for me and I think it was the right thing for everyone."

Meanwhile, Torres admitted the decision to leave Atletico after 11 years had been a wrench.

"Liverpool are giving me the number nine jersey which shows the confidence they have placed in me, when considering those who have worn that shirt before me," he added.

"But I will always feel at home at Atletico.

"I am proud of what I achieved there, my heart will always be Rojiblanco regardless of where I go.

"I want to thank the fans, who have shown a lot of support over the years and I hope to return one day.

"I have my conscience clear of what I have achieved. I believe this is a good decision for me and for the club."

And so it proved, as he quickly became a firm fan favourite at Anfield in his first season.

He made his competitive debut for the Reds in their opening league game against Aston Villa, a tie they won 2-1.

His first goal came not long after in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and in the Carling Cup Third Round against Reading he bagged his first hat-trick.

He ended the season trophyless, as Liverpool finished fourth in the league, and failed to make it past the semi-finals in any of the cup competitions.

But personally the campaign was an unqualified success, and Torres became the first player since Robbie Fowler to score more than 20 goals in the league for the club. He also equaled Roger Hunt's record of scoring in eight consecutive games at Anfield.

To cap this all off, he then helped Spain to their first major honour in 44 years by scoring the winning goal in the Euro 2008 final against Germany in June.