Fernando Torres

[larichka_]

Thank you girls for the photos ;] Fernando looks awesome on each pic ;]

Here are a couple of pics with fans ;]

[Soulino]

Absolutely ADORABLE and AMAZING chat with Nando and his 5 closest friends! It's not fresh (I suppose it was made 4 years ago), but it's worth reading! Believe me Such the great atmosphere, such good guys...And after this I love Fernando much more...if it's possible)))

Oscar, Juli, Hugo, Elias and Angel are Fernando Torres’ closest friends. They all shared a chat in which we discovered more things about what Fernando is like off the pitch

FT: I’ve known Oscar for 25 or 30 years (laughs). I don’t know. For a long time.

Oscar: Since we played together in Infantiles (Under 13).

FT: And I met Hugo in the Madrid Team. At that time they took anyone on, as you can see. And I went to school with Elias in Fuenlabrada.

Hugo: We met each other through football.

FT: What we didn’t know was that Hugo wasn’t on his own, the package included Juli, who was like his boyfriend.

Juli: I knew Hugo from my neighbourhood.

Hugo: That’s true. But now we are divorced.

Angel: And then I came into the picture. I met Oscar through football, and through him I met the rest.

Hugo: I remember Fer had freckles, too many… and his Calimero-like hair-style.

FT: At least I had a style. Hugo’s hair looked like a sheep’s. But he wasn’t the only one who didn’t have a style, Elias had a middle parting.

Elias: Can you imagine Fernando shorter and skinnier...?

Juli: With loads of freckles and pudding-bowl cut blonde hair.

Elias: He was very naughty and very lucky. One day the teacher caught him copying and she said: “It doesn’t matter, but don’t do it again”. And all because of his pretty face. The rest of the class complained because he got off, but nothing happened.

Oscar: He was always up to something but never got found out. He was the worst of all of us, but he always came up smelling of roses while the rest of us got caught.

FT: I was the only serious one in this group.

Elнas: Then, outside the classroom, he was great. I remember you asked someone from the neighbourhood for his Identity Card so that you could get into a discotheque and pick up a girl.

Oscar: We had a great time. We’ve got all kinds of stories. Remember that time when we were robbed, they took everything, even our bus passes.

FT: Of course I remember it. How pathetic, to steal some kids’ bus passes.

Hugo: The robbery was at the time I met you.

FT: yes, yes, and we thought that you were going to protect us, being so big.

Juli: Hugo was the baddy of the group.

Elнas: The thing is that we have always got on really well, even though we all have our faults.

Juli: Yes, but here we are only talking about Fer’s faults, because this is his page.

Elias: What I can’t cope with about Fernando is when he gets wound up about something, because everything said about him is exaggerated, and you don’t know how to help him.

Angel: Anyway it’s normal because thing are happening very quickly in his life and he’s coping with it the best he can.

Oscar: It’s true. At 20, he’s a great footballing star. But even when he was younger he was outstanding. In Infantiles he scored 65 goals or something. Incredible !! And things were made difficult for him and obstacles put in his way by bringing in people that in theory had to play, because the club had made a big investment in them, paying their accommodation, studies and so on. But Fernando always ended up playing and showing that he was the best.

Juli: It is very difficult to cope with all this things that have happened to him the way he has done. He has always been very professional. A crack on the pitch and off.

Angel: And today that means tickets and clothes for us.

Hugo: And Atletico sweatshirts.

Oscar: Not just that. When we’ve been out to a night club, he’s taken us to the VIP area. And since then, they’ve let us in because they know us and they know that we are Fernando Torres’ friends.

FT: What they do is become friends of the owner. Then they can get into every night club for free.

Oscar: Well, it’s also great to be able to go to the football all together, because it’s not easy for a group of friends to get an executive box.

FT: And also for picking up a girl. But Oscar has never needed that, he’s always very successful. He’s a heart-breaker.

Oscar: It’s true about picking up a girl, because you’re carrying a photo, the typical one of a group of friends with Fer in it. Then they start getting interested and asking things... they take the bait.

Juli: What a story. To tell the truth, as a group of friends we’ve done pretty well. Not a long ago I had a car accident and I broke my shoulder. They all gave me a lot of support.

FT: It was an accident that brought us all even more together. We were always at his side.

Elias: I was the one who showered him.

Hugo: And I had to hold the potty for him. You can’t imagine how it burned. And we bought him a beautiful suit.

FT: A gold coloured shirt and a pareo.

Angel: yes, he looked great.

Juli: We have had good and bad times together.

Elias: And one thing that really surprises people is that when we get together we don’t talk about football. Actually we rarely talk about it at all, although we are all connected to this sport. We might ask Fernando about this player or that coach, but we hardly ever talk about pieces of action in his games.

Oscar: That’s because we all live surrounded by football, you spend the whole day in that kind of atmosphere and you feel like switching off.

FT: We don’t talk about matches.

Oscar: If we do ever talk about a game, we have a laugh about it. We try not to go on about it, because he has enough of it during the day without carrying on when he gets together with his friends.

Elias: Sometimes I speak to Fernando on the phone and he askes me how things are in the club or what’s going on, but nothing related to the game.

FT: When I’m with my friends I forget about football. If I am training I’m focused 100 %, but when the training is over, so is the football. When we go out , we talk about ourselves.

Juli: Sometimes that is the hardest thing, to be able to get together.

FT: It is difficult for all of us to get together. Sometimes we see each other every day of the week and then we don’t get together in a whole month.

Elias: It’s very relative to talk about all of us getting together. Even when we can’t, he’ s everywhere: in the papers, on TV, adverts, and so on.

Angel: We try to read everything that comes out about Fernando, though it’s not difficult to be up to date because he is in all the media. There are also people that know that I’m a friend of Fernando’s and everytime they see me they ask me if I have seen this or that article.

Hugo: I haven’t got used to it. I don’t’ see him as a great football star, which he is one, but as my lifelong friend.

Elias: In spite of everything, we’re always laughing and joking. We’re lucky to have things that other groups of friends don’t have. We can go to football matches together, or be with a friend at his own home.

Juli: Yes, the worst thing is when someone has a go at Fernando. There’s always someone around saying something against him, but in time you learn to ignore people’s criticism. If someone criticises him, it’s because he doesn’t know him.

Oscar: Fernando has been in my neighbourhood a thousand times playing on the streets when he hadn’t yet got into the first team. Then they criticised him because he was playing for Atletico. Now when they see me they say: “say hello to your friend for me”.

Hugo: You can really notice when people know that you know Fernando. They treat you differently. But we all try to take it as normal.

Angel: We know everything that moves around Fernando, but we still behave as if nothing has changed and we try to do the same things that we always have.

FT: Yes, the same old messing about, too.

[Soulino]

Deleted by me.

[larichka_]

Soulino THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for this amazing chat and all thoose amazing photos of Nando and Olalla!!! You're golden!

[freefall]

thanks soulino, for the great interview and all the pics...here are some pictures of the match vs. standard liege...hopefully they do better tomorrow, the match was quite disappointing

[larichka_]

I found a video about Fernando's adorable smile ;] And I really liked it. So I decided to share it with you girls :} Enjoy ;]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ9EJ6SB8x4...feature=related

[HEARTLESS18]

More pics of Nando and Olalla:)

I dunno if you are a member of the forum they post those in, lol! But the mod does not want those pics being re-posted anywhere on forums... <_<

[freefall]

More pics of Nando and Olalla:)

I dunno if you are a member of the forum they post those in, lol! But the mod does not want those pics being re-posted anywhere on forums... <_<

What do you mean? First, most of the pics aren´t reposts and second why shouldn´t it be allowed to repost...? I think they´re great, thanks to soulino

[HEARTLESS18]

More pics of Nando and Olalla:)

I dunno if you are a member of the forum they post those in, lol! But the mod does not want those pics being re-posted anywhere on forums... <_<

What do you mean? First, most of the pics aren´t reposts and second why shouldn´t it be allowed to repost...? I think they´re great, thanks to soulino

Re-post as in posting them on to other forums besides the original poster that all those Olalla pics are from. She's told the people who are in that forum numerous times to not repost them, why she tags them. But alot of people post them everywhere without her approval. She pays for them so she can have the right to tell people to not post them, lol.

[PeachSalsa]

More pics of Nando and Olalla:)

I dunno if you are a member of the forum they post those in, lol! But the mod does not want those pics being re-posted anywhere on forums... <_<

What do you mean? First, most of the pics aren´t reposts and second why shouldn´t it be allowed to repost...? I think they´re great, thanks to soulino

Re-post as in posting them on to other forums besides the original poster that all those Olalla pics are from. She's told the people who are in that forum numerous times to not repost them, why she tags them. But alot of people post them everywhere without her approval. She pays for them so she can have the right to tell people to not post them, lol.

Tracy and I have done all we can to prevent people from posting the photos on our forum elsewhere. We pay for some of them. We beg, plead, demand, scream and yell asking people not to repost photos on other forums. We have tried password protection. If you do post our photos elsewhere, at least give credit. It's an ongoing battle. Even though we may not win it, we will continue to complain about it. I have started tagging across the face. And I hate tags. I hate tagging. I hate wasting my time doing it. But people refuse to do as asked, so everyone gets to see Torres, Stevie, etc. with captainstevie-g.com or CSG across their face. Tracy is nicer. She hasn't tagged on the face yet. There is a livejournal person that has raided nearly every photo that is on our forums. We have tried to stop her and she tells us to piss off. So, enjoy the photos. All I'm asking for at this point is give credit. But with me tagging them, it's moot.  

[Soulino]

About pics you were talking so much

Sorry girls if it made you upset, but there were a name of your forum on each photo, so why couldn't it be a credit?

Sorry once again. I didn't know that it is such a big problem <_<

What's the meaning to have all Nando's (and probably Olalla's) photos only at one particular forum? And if somebody doesn't know about it? But know about another resource where everybody wants to look at new or old Nando's pictures. Is it bad to have this desire? Or do you have another?

Ok, you pay for this pics. But it's your choice. Nobody made you do this, right?

What's bad in sharing pics with Nando's fans not only at your forum? I really don't understand...

And I never post pics somewhere without mentioning where they were taken from. Also about these pics - as I said there's the name of your forum written on each photo. I thought that would be enough to let people know about your forum and the place where these pics have been taken from.

[OnlyYou]

About pics you were talking so much

Sorry girls if it made you upset, but there were a name of your forum on each photo, so why couldn't it be a credit?

Sorry once again. I didn't know that it is such a big problem <_<

What's the meaning to have all Nando's (and probably Olalla's) photos only at one particular forum? And if somebody doesn't know about it? But know about another resource where everybody wants to look at new or old Nando's pictures. Is it bad to have this desire? Or do you have another?

Ok, you pay for this pics. But it's your choice. Nobody made you do this, right?

What's bad in sharing pics with Nando's fans not only at your forum? I really don't understand...

And I never post pics somewhere without mentioning where they were taken from. Also about these pics - as I said there's the name of your forum written on each photo. I thought that would be enough to let people know about your forum and the place where these pics have been taken from.

Yes it is true that most of the photos have been tagged, but the reason they have been tagged is because they are being posted without credit on a lot of other forums like here. If you think about it and start to give credit, maybe Tracy (the admin on that forum) might stop tagging photos. She has been kind enough to remove the password from the Torres photos section and sent PMs asking people to credit others for photos and the abide by the rules. Not all of the photos have the name of the forum on it from there. For example, there's photos that a girl took from Cafe Sports England of Fernando and surely since she took them herself on her camera, she deserves credit.

Sure it is her choice that she pays for photos, but if she didnt pay for those, we would never get to see them, many of them being HQs. Some of the ones she has paid for, she has requested not to be reposted. You should respect that and not repost them. Other's she just wants credit. Would it hurt to edit some of your posts and just add credit..? it would make the internet a happier place

Imagine if she stopped buying and posting photos that we don't have access to. Nobody is trying to pick a fight here, we just want to all respect each other's wishes, appreciate the trouble that others' go to to get photos.

Thanks x

[PeachSalsa]

About pics you were talking so much

Sorry girls if it made you upset, but there were a name of your forum on each photo, so why couldn't it be a credit?

Sorry once again. I didn't know that it is such a big problem <_<

What's the meaning to have all Nando's (and probably Olalla's) photos only at one particular forum? And if somebody doesn't know about it? But know about another resource where everybody wants to look at new or old Nando's pictures. Is it bad to have this desire? Or do you have another?

Ok, you pay for this pics. But it's your choice. Nobody made you do this, right?

What's bad in sharing pics with Nando's fans not only at your forum? I really don't understand...

And I never post pics somewhere without mentioning where they were taken from. Also about these pics - as I said there's the name of your forum written on each photo. I thought that would be enough to let people know about your forum and the place where these pics have been taken from.

I will not argue about this. A great many of the photos are not tagged. It's usually the scans from magazines that we have purchased, and HQ's that we have purchased that we tag. I have started tagging on the face with CSG. If I get photos from another forum, I credit them. If I get HQ's from another forum like RAWK, then I credit them and it's usually hkkop that posts them. I do not tag those. If they aren't mine, I don't tag them. Tracy, myself and others can get a lot of photos that do not have watermarks. They are from newsagencies. Some of them we are members of and pay a fee. I do not give them credit unless it's El Pais, Marca, AS, etc.

The thing is, we provide a forum. I pay for my forum. I pay for the domain name. I pay for the hosting. It's my forum. I take the time to search for new photos as soon as they appear on the internet. I post them for everyone to see. Other people gather photos and post them as well. Not giving credit, or at least saying thank you is rude. Everyone knows you got the photos somewhere. Why not say where? 

And of course we want to share. That's why we have a forum and that's why we post news/photos. To share. But how difficult is it to say gracias mate?

[Soulino]

Would it hurt to edit some of your posts and just add credit..? it would make the internet a happier place

I see your point. And understand it. As well as I appreciate the job you girls do about these pics. And wanna say thanks.

I explained my point of view in the previous post...so there's no meaning to argue.

Ok, in future I promise always write the name of your forum if I take some pics from there to post them anywhere else

[Gabwhit]

Hi I'm new here. Can't believe all the amazing pictures and videos I found here!

No clue if you've already seen this one, great interview with english subs, enjoy anyway!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIQ3r80BThQ

[freefall]

Thanks Gabwhit for the video!

Here are a view pictures of the game last saturday vs. sunderland, I hope Fernando and Keane will play better together, they do not complement each other yet...

Good luck for the match today!!

[schalalaaa]

http://archive.propaganda-photo.com/Search...fernando+torres

- there are a lot of pictures with fernando in action (what a pitty, that the letters often in the wrongplace)

[Gabwhit]

Interview after the Sunderland match with Rafa, Xabi and Fernando:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QK_b9lEIKI

[freefall]

liverpool vs. middelsbrough (Gerrad and Carrager scored)

[Soulino]

freefall, thank you very much for all pics!

And very interesting article and interview with Fernando! Also credit and big thanks to http://www.captainstevie-g.com/boards/

Fernando I of England

Miguel Mora 19/01/2008

El Nino is causing havoc. He’s now The Kid of England. The King of the Kop. The press are bowing to his talents and his goals. The supporters adore him. The betting houses, not normally driven by passion, have been placing him for weeks as Liverpool’s likeliest player to score the team’s first goal. And the second.

And the third. Before the Champions League decisive match against Porto, Ladbrokes, a betting house near the Anfield Road stadium, was paying 7/2 for Torres to score the first goal. Next in line was Gerrard, who was 3/1. Ladbrokes got it right. Torres scored the first goal, a header, off a corner kick taken by Gerrard. He also scored the second, with only 10 minutes left in the match and the score leveled, after an electric run inside the area and in front of a frantic Kop, that mythical stand where the most loyal supporters congregate and push the team forth like bulls.

In just a few months and with very limited English, Fernando Torres (Fuenlabrada, Madrid, 1984) has gone from being the leader at Atletico de Madrid to becoming a hero at Anfield, and to more than half the city of Liverpool and many more supporters of one of the most beloved teams in the world. A simple trip to Anfield, a matchbox-style stadium with impressive acoustics, or a walk with him around town is more than enough to prove it. “To-res!, To-res!”, is enthusiastically shouted by The Kop to salute El Nino after every goal. “Would you mind taking a picture with me?”, he’s asked by the fans in the street who reach for their mobiles, always with the outmost courtesy, and smiles on their faces.

Normal for a footballer who was destined since very young to play at the top level. At only 11 or 12 years old he already stood out for his pace, scoring ability and power; he then went on to with the U-17 World Cup with Spain; making his first team debut for Atletico, his beloved Atleti, that back then were fighting to make it out of the hell that is the Second Division football.

With him as the top scorer, a smooth-faced and skinny lad, all heart and fiber, they were able to win promotion on their second attempt. After years of agony, suffering, botched signings, and bruises, Torres played the Euro Cup in Portugal and then shone in the World Cup. At last, his Atleti made it back to Europe this season, via Intertoto. But he couldn’t take it any longer. Having crafted his game through dozens of infamous matches, forced to make a living inside the area while far away the inability of his team-mates to provide any sort of service was evident, fed up of having to bare an immensurable responsibility for a lad his age (“I was made captain at 19!”), tired of the burdens of fame and the spoilt press whom, he says, “confused me with my team”, Torres made the decision this past summer to leave his city, his family, his team, his fans and his country all behind for some fresh air.

The decision taken, he says “for the good of both parties”, couldn’t have been more correct: he has scored a ton of goals already, his team-mates respect him, they spoil and look for him; he enjoys every second he plays in the “honest, fast paced and fluid” English football, and still suffers, “now on the telly”, all the unanswered prayers of his dear Atleti.

It’s a frigid morning in Liverpool and Torres, looking leaner than ever (“they’re very stringent about body fat”) and tall (1,85m), he poses for pictures without a hint of complaint. We’re in the financial heart of this grey and proletarian city, filled with charming dwellers who would rather talk football than Beatles. Near the Mersey River a strong wind batters forcefully, but El Nino looks calm, relaxed and happy. He’s very punctual to our meeting where he’s arrived driving his Audi Q7 on the left lane, just like another Englishman; he’s familiar with the best and worst of the brilliant and tragic history of Liverpool, he explains that he feels absolutely identified “with the sentiments and the pride” of his new supporters. He has bought a house and now awaits with his girlfriend Olalla, the visit of her sister and parents (all Galician; the father, a retired national policeman). And to leave no doubts, he sums up his thoughts by saying: “I wish I would’ve come sooner!”.

During the course of the interview, which he starts somewhat nervous, Torres seems just like he does on the pitch: quick, observant, powerful, well-mannered, generous and confident. Those who have doubted his ability, asking him for the moon while not taking into account the birdhouse he was living in, where, despite all the troubles, he was able to shine in, they just need to have a walk around Liverpool, Anfield or Ladbrokes. There, they will see that Torres, The Terminator, Super Nando, The Kid, El Nino already is, and rightfully so, straightforward and without the need of marketing, a world-class star in football, besides being a very worthy and pleasant chap.

How is everything going? Have you adapted well so far?

- Slowly but surely. Every day I learn a bit more about the language and the city. I live in the outskirts, and although Liverpool has a large extension, everything is handy. The house is near the airport and the training ground, where I spend a good deal of time. At first I leased and then bought the house, and now we’re trying to furnish it as quick as possible because my family and my girlfriend’s are coming over and we need to install a lot of beds.

Do you miss anything from back home?

- No, I miss my friends, my old team-mates and my family but I don’t miss the city at all. I still watch all of Atleti’s matches and still suffer with them…

This year a little less

- You suffer the same but now with more goals. But I’m happy that everything is working out well for them.

It seems like they’ve gone on a scoring rampage since you left

- Their approach is more offensive this year, they score and also concede many goals, but they are able to get results because there is a lot of quality up front. Kun, Forlan, Raul Garcia, Maxi, Luis Garcia can all score at any moment. Now they must work on their defensive concepts. But I like their approach: they’re entertaining to watch and it seems like they’re enjoying themselves on the pitch.

What differences have you found between Atleti and Liverpool?

- Here they have the mentality of a big club, and the team always comes through in the key matches. This year we started slow in the Champions, but now we’re feeling confident again, and even if the team is not playing well during a match, we know we’re capable of scoring three or four goals in five minutes. The biggest difference is the mentality.

Is the structure of the club that different to Atleti’s?

- The squad is much bigger and everyone accepts the manager’s rotation, but the biggest difference is the culture, the organization. Rafa is the manager, he makes all decisions. He’s given time, a long contract and he demands what he needs. He has the players and the means to shape the team any way he wishes. Each person has the power to make decisions in their own field. He’s the only one that makes the signings. In Spain there are too many people making decisions. The president, the technical director, the technical secretary, the manager…Here everything is much simpler.

Do you train more here? I say this because I’m stunned of how lean everyone looks here

- Well, the training is more individualized and you play a lot more matches. The installations are fully-equipped (it will be the same at Atleti once they build their training centre) and there are no excuses not to be in good shape. The strikers, defenders and midfielders all have different physical attributes and body shapes, so twice a week we train to maximize our virtues. We do jumping and velocity training and we’re able to improve our physical condition in a very short time. Besides, they have a very detailed control on our diet, the fat, all of that…

I’ve read that the training takes up an entire work’s day

- We arrive at Melwood at nine in the morning, we have breakfast together, train, and then we have lunch. It’s not mandatory to eat, but they prefer that we stay and eat so that they can control two of the three day’s meals and you eat what they want.

Is the daily life very different compared to Madrid?

- Here, people respect you in the street, you can’t even compare that. People greet you from the distance as if they knew you from the neighborhood your whole life, but they rarely approach you. They’re much more respectful than people in Spain and you can have a social life without any worries, nobody bothers you. It’s one of the things that the players here always highlight as an advantage, life is much calmer. And it’s true.

So the worse thing for you in Madrid was the burdens of fame

- Sometimes you want to be alone with your friends having a drink out in the terraces. I like to do things my way, to be left alone. And that was impossible for me in Spain. That lack of privacy…the mentality of leaving somebody be doesn’t exist over there. Here, for example, if you’re having a meal in public, nobody comes up to your table. They wait until you’re done. It’s a different culture, a different education.

More respectful

- And it’s the same with the team. In Spain they’re more fanatic, and if the team is doing well, everything is great, and when they’re not doing so well, everything is bad. They criticize the rival team and boo them to put more pressure on them, here people in the away grounds applaud you if you play well. It’s amazing. The first time you’re taken aback: you’ve just won away and they give you an ovation.

And at home it’s like you’re playing with 15 instead of even 12 players

- When you’re not doing well, the fans give you more support, and that gives you the feeling that you can’t leave anything on the pitch, you must give your best. In Spain it hurts when they whistle because you’re playing badly. Here the club is above the players. People are proud of supporting Liverpool, you go out to the streets and you see hundreds of red shirts…people are always walking proud with their heads up high, win or lose.

Anfield is amazing

- From the outside it doesn’t look like much but form the inside it’s a real spectacle. The acoustics are fearsome. It’s the typical English ground, it looks bland from the outside, but it’s very enclosed and the acoustics are fantastic. That puts a magnificent pressure on you to play well. It’s also very special because of all the history. Now the capacity is too small and they’re going to build a new stadium. But Anfield is so special that they’re not going to tear it down, they’ll build a path to the new stadium…

Liverpool is a religion

- More than a business it’s a sentiment. People care much more about the history of success and misfortunes at the club than about money or the market.

In that aspect it is similar to Atleti

- Yes, I think both peoples have a lot of things in common. The pride of supporting your team, win or lose, always. Feeling proud and taking it to the limit.

Are you familiar now with the famous quotes from Bill Shankly?

- Yes, I know that he’s very important in the history of Liverpool. He said that no player should feel more important than the team because the club is above all. And that’s how it is. Their most important players and managers past and present are very grateful of having worn the red shirt. And whether they were better or worse, people always greet them like they were family.

The box was filled with former players the other day

- The former players have a close relationship with the supporters. People are very friendly, very warm, humorous and very helpful, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a legend or a newcomer. When you walk around the city you get to know everyone. People try to speak Spanish to me….

What do the Evertonians tell you?

- The rivalry is more pure than in Spain. The day of the derby the entire city is paralyzed and both teams want to win at all costs but in the day to day everything is very pleasant. Everton fans wish me luck “all year long except when you play against us”.

And hows your English coming along?

- Well, at first it’s very complicated, I had to focused really hard because I didn’t understand a thing, not even on the pitch. The first thing was to learn the football terms, otherwise you’re completely lost.

How do you say “solo” on the pitch?

- Time. It means that you have time.

And ‘careful’

- Man on, it means there’s a bloke coming at you. At first, I wouldn’t stop saying ‘be careful’ and nobody knew what I meant, of course.

But there are a lot of Spanish speaking players on the team

- Yes, twelve of us, but we try to communicate in English because if Benitez sees us speaking Spanish he will fine us. “English, please”. He always speaks in English to all the Spaniards except for when you have no clue at all.

Although there aren’t as many English players, they are in control, no?

- Of course, it is an English team after all. And the captains are English: Gerrard and Carragher. They know the club better than anybody.

I’ve also read that you’ve learned here the meaning of being the team’s captain

- I was made captain at Atleti at 19; I played with Kiko, Lopez, Aguilera and Sergi, who had been at the club for years, and I learned from them. But now I know that to be a real captain you need to spend a lot of time learning from those type of players. Liverpool are well organized, Gerrard has been at the club for 10 years and Carragher even longer, they have a lot of experience and they have played alongside players who were even longer at the club before them. At 19 I was the player with the longest run at the club. That means that something was done wrongly. And I was given that extra responsibility that if I was able to go back, I would avoid.

Was it a raw deal?

- Too much responsibility off the pitch. At that age all you should be doing is thinking about football and trying to improve. Teaching other people what to do at 19 is not easy. Now I realize what it’s like to be respected. Being captain is not just wearing an armband. You can learn those things here from Gerrard, Hyypia or Carragher because they’ve won a lot of things and they know how to lead. The captain is the speaker for the entire team, he’s the one that will pull you by the ear when you’re not doing well, and the one in charge of bringing the players together in the dressing room and integrating the new players to the city, the one that makes everybody else feel comfortable. Those that are 28 or 29 years old have been through a lot and they can do all these things in five minutes. You need hours. And how can you possibly tell somebody they’re doing things wrong when you’re 19. Luckily, I had people on my side, like Maxi or Leo Franco, who gave me advice. But it should be the other way around.

So all of this also played a part in you leaving

- Yes, I left because I thought it would be the best thing for both parties, and it has. Leo was the real captain, the wisest. He was a great friend and very supportive, the leader in the dressing room along with Maxi, the player to follow, but he likes being in the shadow. Maxi will be a great captain.

And Kun Aguero will be your substitute in the hearts of the people

- Kun is a fantastic player, but we shouldn’t pollute his mind with all the press nonsense. He knows how good he is and how good he can become, day to day if he can achieve the team goals, because without that he will be left in the little world that is la Liga and will be stuck there. I hope they can reach the Champions this year and they go far in the UEFA Cup. The great sportsmen have to play in the big competitions. And the Club need to allow him to grow.

Do you still keep in touch with your old team-mates in Madrid?

- Yes, and I’m eager to go back to El Calderon. When I get the chance.

How are your parents dealing with their son’s ‘exile’?

- They’re fine now, at first not so well, I was leaving home. Now they have visited me, gotten to know the city, and they’ve seen that I’m well and they’re happy for me. Liverpool is close for them. They can come any time they want in an instant.

And what about your girlfrield, how’s she dealing with all this?

- She’s happy, learning English and she’s happy to know a new culture, a different city. Besides, when things are going well on the pitch, the morale is high and everything is easier. Liverpool is a great club and they always make sure you’re taken care of. They even offer to keep company to your girl in case she needs anything.

Do you read the English press?

- Not much. The tabloids are not given any importance, they’re not very trustworthy. I’ll read them, more than anything, for the language. And you’d rather not read them, that way you can live in reality.

So, in general, you’re grateful to be here

- Yes, I think it’s a good thing that Spanish footballers play abroad. You’re always more valued. Look at Cesc, he never got to play in Spain and he wouldn’t be what he is now if it wasn’t for Wenger. Football is not restricted to Spain. I wish I would’ve come earlier. I would’ve learned a lot more. I’m really enjoying it here.

There is less cheating, no?

- It’s more honest, there is less theatrics and everything is more real. Players go all out but never trying to hurt anyone. The refs understand this and they don’t sanction all contact, so there is less stoppage. If you dive, your own supporters boo you, they’re very strict about that, it’s amazing. That makes everything else a lot easier. And the football is more beautiful to watch and play. Although the individual skill is not as good, we intervene a lot more, the play is more direct, there are more spaces and velocity, that suits me well.

Do you think you’ll score more goals here than at Atleti?

- We play more matches and there are more opportunities to score because the team creates a lot of chances. I’m scoring goals now and I hope it continues. Although you must be calm in your first year, I was able to score since the first day and that gives us all more confidence.

Is life easier not having R.Madrid so close by?

- Without Madrid? Liverpool here is the big club, so I understand well Everton, who are the second team and at their shadow like it happened to us at Atleti. But here we have Manchester, who are only 50 minutes away so it’s almost like they’re in the same city…

Cute photo:) Credit to http://www.captainstevie-g.com/boards/