Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system. He made his first team debut in 2001 and finished his career with the club having scored 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Prior to his La Liga debut, Torres played two seasons in the Segunda División, making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals. He joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007 after signing for a club record transfer fee. He marked his first season at Anfield by being Liverpool's first player, since Robbie Fowler in 1995–96, to score more than 20 league goals in a season. Torres became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals after scoring against Aston Villa in December 2009.
He is also a Spanish international and made his debut for the country against Portugal in 2003. He has since participated in four major tournaments, UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He did not score a goal at UEFA Euro 2004, but he scored three at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Torres scored twice at UEFA Euro 2008, which included the winning goal for Spain in their 1–0 win over Germany in the Final. He won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain, despite himself not scoring any goals.
Club career
Atlético Madrid
After progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998.[9] Atlético sent an under-15 team to compete in the Nike Cup, in Spain and Europe, to play against youth teams from other clubs; Atlético won the tournament.[9][10] He was later voted the best player in Europe for the age group.[10] In 1999, at the age of 15, Torres signed his first professional contract with Atlético.[9] He spent his first year playing in the youth team and moved onto the participating in the Honor Division when he was 16.[11] The 2000–01 season had started badly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone which kept him out until December.[11] Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut for the team on 27 May 2001, at Vicente Calderón, against CD Leganés.[11] A week later, he scored his first goal for the club against Albacete Balompié and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion to La Liga.[11]
He stated after the 2006 FIFA World Cup that he had turned down an offer to join Chelsea at the end of the 2005–06 season.[18] Torres scored 14 league goals in the 2006–07 season.[12] The English media reported that he was the main transfer target of Liverpool,[19] but Cerezo stated "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player".[20] However, a few days later, new reports suggested Atlético had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres; the fee was rumored to be £25 million with Luis García moving to Atletico in a separate transfer deal.[21] On 30 June, Atlético announced a deal to sign Diego Forlán from Villarreal, in what was seen as a move to replace Torres before his departure became official.[22] On 2 July, it was reported that Torres had cut short a vacation to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool.[23] The following day, Torres passed a medical for Liverpool's Melwood training ground.[24] He held a press conference in Madrid on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético fans, before completing his move to Liverpool on a six-year contract.[24] The transfer fee was the highest in Liverpool's history.[22] In March 2008, manager Rafael Benítez stated in an interview with The Times that Torres was acquired for around £20 million, although this figure takes into account García's move to Atlético.[25]
Liverpool
2007–08 season
He was named Premier League Player of the Month for February,[31] during which he scored four goals in two league appearances, including a hat-trick against Middlesbrough on 23 February 2008.[32] This hat-trick and another in a 4–0 victory over West Ham United on 5 March 2008 meant he became the first Liverpool player since Jack Balmer in November 1946 to score a hat-trick in successive home matches.[33] Later in March, after he scored a 47th minute header against Reading at Anfield, becoming the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season campaign to score 20 league goals in a season.[34] In April, he scored another Champions League goal, this time against Arsenal in the quarter-final second leg, as Liverpool advanced to the semi-final.[35] This goal took him onto 29 goals for the 2007–08 season in all competitions, eclipsing Liverpool favourite Michael Owen's personal record for goals in a season.[32][36] On 11 April 2008, it was announced Torres had made a six man shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award,[37] which was eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.[38] The Spanish international was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, which was won by Cesc Fàbregas of Arsenal and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.[38] In May, he finished second to Ronaldo for the FWA Footballer of the Year award.[39]
On 4 May 2008, Torres scored a 57th minute winner against Manchester City, which equalled the consecutive Anfield league goal record of eight games set by Roger Hunt.[40] After scoring his 24th league goal in the final game of the season, a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, he set a new record for the most prolific foreign goal scorer ever in a debut season in England, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy's 23 goals.[32][41] He ended the season in joint second place with Emmanuel Adebayor in the race for the Premier League golden boot.[42] Torres was subject to media speculation that Chelsea were willing pay £50 million to sign him but Torres responded by saying it would be "many years" before he left Liverpool.[43][44] Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks also negated the idea of a transfer, saying he would not allow Torres to leave the club at any price.[45]
2008–09 season
Torres made a promising start to the 2008–09 Premier League season, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Sunderland.[46] He suffered what was later confirmed as a hamstring tear in a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa, which would keep him out for two to three weeks.[47] Torres made his return in a 2–1 victory against Marseille in the Champions League and went on to score two goals in the Merseyside derby against Everton on 27 September to give Liverpool a 2–0 win.[48][49] He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Manchester City in a 3–2 win away at the City of Manchester Stadium as Liverpool came back from a two goal deficit.[50] The first of these was the thousandth Liverpool goal to be scored in the Premier League.[51] Torres picked up a hamstring injury during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier, meaning he was likely to miss three games for Liverpool.[52] On 22 October, Liverpool played Torres' former club Atlético in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón, but his injury meant he missed out on the game.[53] The Atlético president, Enrique Cerezo, had given him a VIP invitation to watch the game, but he declined this to recover his rehabilitation from injury in Merseyside.[54] He was named in the FIFPro World XI team for the 2007–08 season on 27 October.[55]
Torres faced his old rivals Real Madrid on 10 March in the Champions League last 16 and due to an ankle injury, he had a painkilling injecting before the game to enable him to play.[65] He scored the first goal of the game, which ended as a 4–0 victory, meaning Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals 5–0 on aggregate.[66] Four days later he lined up against Manchester United at Old Trafford and he scored the equaliser in a game that finished as a 4–1 victory.[67] He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second season running in April 2009.[68] Torres scored his 50th goal for Liverpool on 24 May against Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the 2008–09 season, which was his 84th appearance.[69]
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