Fernando Torres has revealed it was Steven Gerrard who made him away from Liverpool

Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres has revealed that it was his teammate Steven Gerrard who convinced him to move away from Liverpool back in 2011.

Torres was vindicated heavily by Liverpool supporters after he switched to one of the club’s archrivals, Chelsea, for a fee of £ 50 million. Even though his Chelsea career was extremely successful by lifting numerous titles like the Champions League, it ended on a sour note since he was unable to replicate his Liverpool form. Since then, Torres has moved to the likes of AC Milan and is now with his boyhood club Atletico.

He has spoken once again about his acrimonious departure from Liverpool. Amidst several suggestions, Torres hasrevealed that it was Liverpool captain Gerrard who convinced him that a move away from Liverpool was right for his career. Torres had become a goal scoring phenomenon after joining the Reds. Gerrard, himself, had thought about leaving Liverpool on several occasions with the failed move to Chelsea being one of them. Gerrard backed out of the deal to join Chelsea despite the two clubs having agreed a deal back in 2005. Torres is looking to revive his career and become a renowned goal scorer once again.

"There's one player that influenced me above anyone else and that's Gerrard. He changed my career, my ambition, wanting to win, he changed everything.Even when I was leaving Liverpool he told me 'go, think about yourself. Do what's best for you - you've nothing to prove'.He changed the way I saw things, telling me that I could get much higher than what I had always thought. I'll never find a team-mate like him," said Torres. Gerrard will also leave Liverpool at the end of the campaign after signing for MLS club LA Galaxy on a free transfer.