Fernando Torres

Fernando Jose Torres Sanz was born on 20th March 1984 in Spain. Despite being born in a traditionally Real Madrid region Torres began his football career at close rivals Atletico Madrid.

Torres signed his first contract for Atletico Madrid in 1999 and his progress was such that by the completion of the 1999-00 season he had firmly established himself in the first team as a regular. In 2002 Atletico Madrid returned to the top tier of Spanish football and Torres quickly proved to his critics he could adapt his playing style to suit the rigours of this level of competitive football by netting thirteen goals.

Torres, despite his young age has become something of a legend at Atletico Madrid and holds many of the club records such as being the youngest player ever to play for the team and the youngest player ever to become captain.

Torres has also set his mark on the international stage with some strong performances for the Spanish national side since first making his debut for the senior team in 2003. Torres was part of the team who participated in the FIFA 2006 World Cup and made a good impression with the tournament providing an appropriate stage for him to showcase his talent.

Torres signed for Liverpool in July 2007 for a fee of around £20m on a reputed £90,000 per week, six year contract and instantly declared himself to have been a Liverpool fan for many years.