Gerrard claims Torres’ physicality made him great at Liverpool

For a time, Fernando Torres was arguably the deadliest striker in the Premier League and former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard claims the Spaniard’s willingness to embrace the physical side of the game is what set him apart.

At his best, Torres was renowned for his pace, strength and uncanny ability to find the net – as proven by his plundering of 81 goals in 142 games for the Reds.

His time in England ended with him becoming a shadow of his former self, lacking the confidence that once made him unplayable, but Gerrard remembers the marksman as someone who relished taking on rough and tough defenders at their own game.

Photo credit: Getty Images

“When you’re a centre-forward, if you get rough treatment, you either hide and go into your shell or you come alive and thrive and get better,” explained the retired midfielder.

“You think of players like Luis Suarez and Torres, they thrive off contact and pressure.

“When the likes of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic try to bully them and intimidate them and rough them up, they love it.

“They get bigger, they put their shoulders back, they grow and take the challenge on – that’s what a world-class centre-forward does.”

It is now ten years since Torres signed for Liverpool and instantly took the Premier League by storm.

As the heart of the midfield behind him, Gerrard had one of the best views in the house to that dominance and, now that he has become Liverpool U18 coach, the Englishman is urging his young charges to emulate the Spaniard’s physicality.

“At the academy now, when you working with centre-forwards, that’s the side of the game you’re trying to get them to understand,” added Gerrard.

“It’s not just about latching onto passes and finishing into the corners of the net.

“Yes, of course, we want them to do that, but you’ve got to be able to cope with world-class centre-halves trying to bully and intimidate you, and Fernando Torres used to love that treatment.”