Fernando Torres has agreed to return to Anfield for a charity game set for March next year, as per reports. While he said he was always engaged hence missing out on several invitations in the past, the truth is Liverpool will always be a home to the Spaniard.
When many players struggled to adapt to a new league following a move, this was not the same story for Fernando Torres – the teenage skipper from Atletico Madrid. He switched sides and became an instant fan favourite.
There are players Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard but El Nino, as he is fondly called, swept in and bossed the club and league in such a short time before his move to the Blues.
Anfield has always been known to be a fortress so regularly netting winners at home endeared him to the fans who came to have an expectation of winning at home. While others would criticize him for barely scoring away, the fans loved him as he was almost sure to score when others come visiting. Then he started improving, becoming the quickest player of the club to reach the 50-goal mark.
In his three and half years at Liverpool, it was more of good news despite the few cracks in his relationship with the fans. Telling the fans he never kissed the Liverpool badge did hurt many and then the switch to rivals Chelsea. His record at Stamford Bridge would give respite to fans as he did not perform as expected.
Despite all his misgivings, Liverpool will always be home to Torres. There is that emotional connection even in an era where romance with the fans is dead.