Iker Casillas says Fernando Llorente gives Spain attack a different edge
Spain captain Iker Casillas says that Athletic Madrid striker Fernando Llorente gives the national team a different quality.
While La Furia Roja have an embarrassment of riches in attack with the likes of David Villa, Fernando Torres and Pedro Rodriguez all able to make a difference in any game, 6'5'' Llorente provides a physicality that none of the other forwards can provide.
The 25-year-old has established himself as a key member of the Spain squad after he scored three goals in the UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying matches against Lithuania and Scotland in October. Crucially, he netted the winner at Hampden Park
against the Scots.
Despite Llorente's recent success in front of goal for his country, Casillas opted to reminisce over the impact that the striker made in the last-16 match against Portugal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Though he didn't score in the game, Llorente
helped Spain to progress from the encounter and eventually become world champions.
Ahead of the international friendly against Portugal on Wednesday 17 November, Casillas told reporters that: “He brings qualities to the team that no one else can. We all remember the World Cup match against Portugal. The game was close, he came off the bench,
and the match was revolutionised.”
Llorente has featured in 12 senior international matches for Spain after making his debut in 2008. He has scored seven goals for his country, including strikes against South Africa at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup as well as the only goal for Spain in the
4-1 defeat to Argentina in September 2010.
The attacker has been with Bilbao for his entire career, working his way up through the youth ranks before making his first-team debut in 2005. He has made 213 senior appearances for his club, and has scored 73 goals for Bilbao.
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