Liverpool supporters still hold mixed feelings about Fernando Torres, more than 14 years on from his Anfield exit.
Fans had come to see Torres as one of their own following his blockbuster move from Atletico Madrid in 2007.
But the love quickly turned into hate when the Spaniard pushed for a move to Chelsea in January 2011.
Old wounds have started to heal over recent years, with Torres playing in a Liverpool Legends match at Anfield in March 2024.
The former No. 9 received a good reception from the crowd inside the stadium, and it clearly meant a great deal to him to get on the scoresheet in front of the Kop.
At one time, those in the stadium were truly Torres’ people. And back in November 2009, just over one year before his eventual exit, the World Cup-winner explained what he loved about Scousers.
Fernando Torres likes ‘respectful’ Scousers
Brought up in a working-class part of Spanish capital Madrid, Torres felt like a Scouser in many ways.
He was a superstar, but he was incredibly humble, hard-working and never forgot his roots.
And during an interview with The Telegraph in November 2009, he admitted that his slightly shy nature was well suited to living amongst the Liverpool natives.
“Scouse people are very respectful,” Torres claimed. “If they see me walking my dogs in the park, they say, ‘A’right Nando, lad.’ And that is all. I like that.”
Continuing his interview with the paper, the then 25-year-old also said people used to tell him he had a Scouse accent
“I know some Liverpool words, but this is not the right place to say them,” he revealed. “People say to me sometimes, ‘You have a Scouse accent’, but when I go to a different place it may be strange for them, so I try to speak proper English. But I have a few words. ‘Deffo’, I like that.”
Torres just wanted to be ‘normal’
To some people, Torres’ bleach-blonde hair and often boots made him an easy target as a ‘pretty boy’ type player.
But Torres was anything but a soft touch. And, revisiting his quotes from more than 15 years ago, it is clear just how humble one of the best goal scorers in Liverpool history really was.
“I try to keep my private life apart,” said the former Spain international. “I try to live as normal a life as possible, because I am normal. I was born in a working-class place in Spain, my father worked every day of his life and I don’t like to be a big-head, or go to parties or events, or be seen about. I don’t like people talking about me. I prefer no one talks about me. I prefer to be at home playing PlayStation and being calm.”
“I don’t like people when they are famous or rich changing their lifestyle, so I try to be the same person as I always was,” Torres added.
“I don’t like to buy flash cars or flash clothes. For me, the best thing is to keep with the people you knew back when you were not famous. You meet so many people who try to get you to go to parties, or to photograph you in flash places, to distract you from your goals.”
His exploits in front of goal helped, of course, but this attitude is exactly what made Torres such a hit in Liverpool. Sadly, it also makes it even more of a shame how things ultimately panned out.
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