Liverpool: Fernando Torres relishing Anfield return
The recently-retired striker is one of a number of ex-Liverpool players who have been invited to take part in the Legends game against Barcelona next year.
Fernando Torres says that paying a visit to Anfield, the stadium he lit up during his three and a half seasons with Liverpool, has long been on his agenda but other commitments have always come in the way. Torres will finally get the chance to take a trip down Memory Lane as he is one of a handful of former Reds who have been invited to take part in Liverpool FC Foundation’s charity match against Barcelona Legends set for 28 March.
Torres, 81 goals for Liverpool - 58 at Anfield
The 35-year-old says he would love experience the exhilarating feeling of finding the back of the net at Anfield once again – like he did 58 times during his time on Merseyside. In total, Torres scored 81 goals in all competitions for Liverpool – all of them from open play. He also became the fastest player to reach 50 league goals for the club – a record he now shares with Mohamed Salah.
A goal against Barça at the Kop end would cap a dream return. “Hopefully it happens!” Torres told Liverpoolfc.com today. “I received many invitations from Liverpool to play with them in the past but I couldn’t do it because I was still playing. So, I’ll be so happy to come back and play in a Liverpool shirt again.”
Torres' last visit to Anfield in March 2015
Torres was given an ovation by the home fans when he took to the pitch in an all-star, Gerrard v Carragher charity game at Anfield in March 2015. And apart from ruffling the old onion bag in L4 one more time, he admitted he’d also love to hear the song which Liverpool fans penned in his honour and sang to him at every home game Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s Number 9. “That song has been the soundtrack of my career for many years,” he said. “I still feel something special when I hear it. It happened in 2015 when I came [back]. It made me feel happy because I know how important the relationship is between players and fans. I felt so proud from the first day here. I know some of the best strikers in history played for Liverpool at Anfield, so these [fans] saw many good players. So it’s a privilege for them to make a song for me. I remembered to listen to that song many times when I played at home and away. To listen to it for one more time will be special again.”
Kluivert, Saviola confirmed for Barcelona
Joining Torres for the charity match will be Fábio Aurelio, Jerzy Dudek, Patrik Berger, José Enrique and Luis García as well as Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Juliano Belletti and Javier Saviola who will form part of 'Chapi' Ferrer's Barça team.