Jamie Redknapp told Soccer AM why he thinks Fernando Torres is the best striker in the world.
Fernando's the best, says former Red
Jamie Redknapp says Fernando Torres is the best striker in the world and has described him as a 'dream' player for any manager.
The
Sky Sports pundit lauded praise on the Liverpool forward in the same week that Steven Gerrard also suggested that no other player could match the Spain international.
Torres became Liverpool's record signing when he joined the club from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth a reported £26 million in July 2007.
Since then he has scored 37 goals in just 53 games for the club, confirming his status as the new idol of the Kop and Redknapp believes he was worth every single penny.
"If I was a manager and I could pick any centre forward from the world I would take him," he told
Soccer AM.
"I'm sure Barcelona fans would think Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and players like that (are better), but I just think he works so hard for the team as well.
"He's so strong and brave and he scores every sort of goal that you would want. Didier Drogba on his day can match him, but I don't think he does it enough and I don't think he is a team player as much as Torres is. Torres is a dream for a manager."
El Nino
Torres, nicknamed El Nino, became the first Liverpool player since Anfield legend Robbie Fowler in 1996-97, to break the 30-goal barrier in a season, and is well on his way to reaching the same Godlike status on the red half of Merseyside, as the former England striker.
Redknapp played alongside Fowler during his 11 years at the club and he told Helen and Max about the moment the striker announced himself on the big stage.
"When he first got in the team as 16 or 17 year-old, you had never seen anything like it," he said.
"I remember the first time we saw him in training. We had lost a couple of games and the manager took us down to play against the reserves and the youth team and Robbie was playing for the youth team.
"The ball came up to him and he lost and the coach has said something to him and he looks over and starts swearing at him! I thought 'who is this little kid? He's a right little rascal'.
"Anyway about two minutes later he's picked the ball up, gone past about three of the first team and smashed the ball in the top corner! We thought, 'he's a bit special'.
Genius
"The following week we were on the coach to go to Fulham and he's sat on there as well and we thought, 'what's he doing here, making the teas!' But he played that day and scored.
"The following week he makes his home debut and scores five! We scored five against Fulham and he got all of them and you just thought then, what a genius."
