Fernando Torres Retires From Football

On Friday Fernando Torres â€‹announced that he would be bringing to an end a career that hasn't gone his way since his move to Chelsea in 2011. The eight years since have seen a return to Atletico Madrid, sprinkled with two loan spells with AC Milan and a move to Sagan Tosu in Japan, but although his fortunes have been mixed (at best), it speaks to the enduring mark he left at the peak of his powers that no-one really cares.

He might not have had the lasting impact that the one-time Atletico prospect promised to when he arrived in the Premier League in 2007, with injuries playing a significant part in that. The likes of Didier Drogba, Robin van Persie and another Atleti alumnus Sergio Aguero might be remembered as having better careers. 

None of it really matters, however, because when you think of Fernando Torres, you think of 33 goals in his first season in England, and his partnership with Steven Gerrard. You think of that goal against Blackburn Rovers, and the goalscoring antics that fired Spain to Euro 2008.

It was the manner of his goals, and his passionate demeanour, more than the actual numbers themselves, that made him one of the Liverpool greatsIt all started in his first game at Anfield, after hit then-club record move from Atletico Madrid. After a quiet debut away at Aston Villa on the opening day, the 23-year-old took just 15 minutes to get off the mark on home turf.