Fernando Torres confirms that he wants to stay at Liverpool
“I am really happy to be back, really happy to stay with all my teammates. My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed. I am looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
And with that, a thousand gossip columns and rumour mills were proved wrong.
Fernando Torres, relentlessly linked with moves away from Liverpool all summer, is staying at Anfield.
There will be no multi-million pound move to Manchester City, no linking up with former team-mate Yossi Benayoun at Chelsea. Torres will start the 2010/11 season at the same place he began the previous three, and he couldn’t be happier.
“From my first day I got the same welcome as Stevie [Steven Gerrard] or Carra [Jamie Carragher] or players who have been here for a long time,” said Torres at Melwood today, on just his second day back on Merseyside following Spain’s World Cup triumph.
“I felt at home from the first day, I feel the fans love me and everyone knows I am really happy here and really happy to play at Anfield. I'm looking forward to starting the season and playing with my teammates and for the fans.
“I know that one trophy here at Liverpool - maybe the Premier League - means more than three or four with another club. This was my target from the day I came and it's still my target. Hopefully this season we can feel this sensation here at Liverpool.”
While that remains to be seen, there can be no doubt that this news will be warmly received by the club’s supporters, and perhaps indicates that a multi-million pound takeover of the Reds is imminent.
Torres was known to be anxious about the future direction of the debt-ridden club, and held talks with both managing director Christian Purslow and new boss Roy Hodgson after his successful stint with Spain at the World Cup in South Africa. He had made it clear that he feels that the Reds should be bringing in high quality players, and so naturally he’s delighted with the free transfer arrival of Joe Cole.
“I think Joe is exactly the kind of player we need to improve the history of our club,” said the forward, who has always shown a keen affinity for the much-storied previous successes of Britain’s most decorated club.
“We are keeping our best players and so it's nice to be back with them. Hopefully we can play together as soon as possible. He is the kind of player I like to play with and the kind of player who can take the team to a higher level. His passing is unbelievable so hopefully he can start the season well because I am sure he will be a key player for us.
“I really appreciated the fact that Roy came out to see me while I was on my holidays. He told me about his plans for the club and what he wanted from me and I appreciated that. I hope he will be the right man to reach the targets of Liverpool Football Club and I am really looking forward to working with him.”
Torres picked up an adductor muscle injury in the closing stages of Spain’s World Cup final victory over the Netherlands, and so is touch-and-go to be fit in time for Liverpool’s opening Premier League match against Arsenal in 12 days time. As with most things though, he’s confident he’ll make it.
“I am looking forward to the first game,” he declared.
“I have less than two weeks to get ready but I felt really good in my first session back with the physios and the doctor. I will try to be fit as soon as possible and I am looking forward to playing at Anfield again.”
How his fans are looking forward to seeing him.
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