Even though I’m a former professional myself I just don’t understand it anymore in regards to the way these players treat their employers and of course those who idolise them in the stands.

The bottom line is that Torres just hasn’t played enough games for Liverpool over the past 12 months. He might have struggled to reach his own high standards in the World Cup but I don’t think that his transfer value will take much of a hit because of this as everyone knows that players of his class are few and far between.

A more immediate concern for Liverpool is Thursday’s Europa League tie in Macedonia.

The timing of this competitive match is awful for Hodgson but he knows that this is a competition they have a good chance of winning if they can just battle their way through these early summer rounds.

Hodgson says that he’s been told by the club’s doctors not to use any of his World Cup players in this round but what kind of irreparable damage do they think is going to happen to them if they are forced to turn out. It’s just that they haven’t played for a couple of weeks, none of them are actually carrying injuries.

Of course there’s a chance that they could pick up a knock or two but that can happen in any match.

I remember all too well Rafael Benitez resting players for early season fixtures so that they’d be fresh come February time but by then it was too late because Liverpool could be out of the running in several competitions.

The days of players coming back for the new season totally unfit after their summer break are long-gone as players understand what they need to do to look after their bodies when it comes to nutrition and training.

I don’t see any harm in giving some of the returning senior pros a run-out for 60-70 minutes, hopefully to help build up a decent lead for the second leg.