Friday, July 6, 2007

Torres and the Premier League are made for each other, according to former Atletico Madrid coach Radomir Antic.

Liverpool will just be hoping the 23-year-old who shoulders the burden of a reported £26.5m price tag and is known as El Nino, can finally bring about a change to their title hopes. Torres has been touted as the final missing piece in the Anfield jigsaw, the striker who can provide the sort of golden goal touch Liverpool have lacked since the heady days of Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush or Robie Fowler and Michael Owen in more recent times.

His record of 75 goals in five seasons in the Spanish top flight suggest a natural goalscoring instinct and Spain's national coach Luis Aragones hinted at his range of skills by once saying: "Torres never scores the same goal twice"

Reds' fans may point to the likes of Fernando Morientes among the misses, but Antic - who was Atletico coach while Torres was forging his way through the youth team - is sure Torres will be a hit. He told BBC Sport: "Liverpool have done a very good job in getting him because Torres is such a good player.

But after making his first-team debut in May 2001 and guiding Atletico back to the top flight the follwing season, Torres has been a prince among strikers. If he was initially a well-kept secret outside of the spotlight that surrounds Real in Madrid, the world at large sat up and took notice when he scored a stunning volley to round off Spain's 4-0 win over Ukraine in last summer's World Cup.

The fresh-faced Torres looks like easy pickings for bully-boy defenders but Antic is also sure he will answer the physical demands set by what is reputed to be the world's most physically demanding league. "England is a good place for his qualities. He has a strong personality, but he's also quick and strong physically," he said. "He needs a new challenge to improve his game, and I think Torres has done a good thing to come to England." "Directness, pace, power, excellent in the air and the mindset of a born winner make Fernando an extraordinary player."