Fernando Torres - Liverpool

El Nino - or the kid - as Torres is known, as an astonishing scoring record for Liverpool. 60 goals in a hundred games for Liverpool puts him at a higher scoring rate than Liverpool legends Michael Owen or Ian Rush. Even more impressively he averages almost a goal a game at home. His tally of 30 goals in his first season in English football suggested that Benitez had made brilliant decision to bring him to Liverpool.

When Torres was 7 he was playing as a goalkeeper, following his brothers footsteps. This was soon to change, of course. By 2001, at the age of 16, he joined Atletico Madrid, where he was to stay for the next 6 years. He scored 82 goals in 214 games for the "other" team in Madrid.

Torres has always been a player with promise, but it took a move to Liverpool for that to become a reality. He has become tougher and stronger at Anfield and now rates among the top 5 strikers in the world.

In the national team, Torres has to play second fiddle to David Villa but he has still scored 23 goals in 68 games for Spain. He scored 3 goals in World Cup 06 and the winning goal in the Euro 2008 finals. He is expected to play a key part in Spains 2010 campaign in South Africa as they start as one of the tournament favourites.

Torres' partnership with Steven Gerrard has been the highlight of Liverpool's football over the past 2 years. And many a great victory has been built around the G&T axis. Torres's acceleration and speed has troubled the worlds best defenders, and he needs just a yard of space to rocket past an opponent. His eye for goal is deadly as well, and he has a great scoring record both with his feet and his head.

Known as a down to earth guy, he has a great rapport with the Anfield fans, and has surprised people on occasion with his normal lifestyle. On one occasion he flew economy class with his girlfriend from Spain back to England.

One of the personal highlights of his career at Anfield was the demolition of Real Madrid - something he had never been able to do while at Atletico. Although the Liverpool fans will hold him in higher esteem for his unplayable status against Manchester United.