Moscow mission for goal hero Fernando Torres

Apr 10 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

GOAL machine Fernando Torres is dreaming of Moscow glory as Liverpool march on in the Champions League.

Torres netted for the 29th time in a remarkable debut season in English football to help secure Tuesday night’s dramatic 4-2 quarter-final second leg win over Arsenal.

And the 24-year-old is confident Liverpool can come out on top of yet another semi-final showdown with Chelsea later this month.

Torres arrived at Anfield last summer having never played in Europe for his boyhood club Atletico Madrid.

Now he has bagged five goals in Liverpool’s roller-coaster ride into the last four.

The Spaniard said: “This was the greatest night of my career so far. My dream now is to get to the final, it is what I have always wanted.

“And the fact that I am enjoying myself here in Liverpool makes it even more important.

“Yes we can get to the Moscow final in May.

“The two league games we have had with Chelsea this season were both draws, very close. We know we can do it.”

He added: “I came to Liverpool for nights and games like this. It is hard to believe, the emotion, the fans, the high-tempo, everything about this is what I wanted and expected.

“It was a good game, I’m sure, for the people watching. And Arsenal are a fine side and played some very nice football. But we are in the semi-finals, which is what matters.

“Maybe when Arsenal made it 2-2 I felt we were out. It was so near the end, five minutes away.

“But the magical place that Anfield is got us through. The fans were tremendous, but we had to play with our heads, not just our hearts.

“We had the believe, and we got two more goals in those final minutes to prove it. Liverpool is special, a special place, special fans, special city and a special team.”

Life on Merseyside could not be better for Torres, already a Kop folk hero in the mould of Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush.

And Bruce Grobbelaar, a former team-mate of Rush, believes Torres can become an even better forward than the Welshman.

“It was fantastic watching in Cape Town, it was very emotional for everybody,” said the former Liverpool goalkeeper, who now lives in South Africa.

“Torres is another Rush for me, and he will be better than Rush that is for sure.

“Stevie Gerrard with his work ethic and work-rate is so fantastic and his skill level is brilliant and they have a great understanding together.”