TORRES: BALLON D'OR AWARD A BIG BOOSTPaul Eaton 04 December 2008
Fernando Torres today insisted finishing third in the World Footballer of the Year awards will spur him on when he returns from injury. Torres is currently recovering from another hamstring setback, with boss Rafael Benitez refusing to set a timescale for his star striker's return.
But after only finishing behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in this year's Ballon D'Or awards, the Spanish striker admits the recognition of his incredible debut year at Anfield has given him a massive confidence boost.
"The award is an important recognition," he said. "It comes at a time when I am recovering from injury, and the accolade will spur me on.
"The injury is a bit worrying because it has happened to me before. Now the only thing to do is to get on with the rehabilitation and make sure that I come back when I am ready and not too soon. This prize is a massive reward that obliges me keep on working on my recovery.
"The year 2008 has been an extraordinary one for me, both on a personal and a team level. I would like to thank my team-mates from the Liverpool squad and the Spanish national team for their help.
"Their support was both important and necessary, and their contribution is one of the reasons why today, I can enjoy this amazing experience."
As well as finishing third in the Ballon D'Or, Torres has made the FIFPro starting XI and has been nominated for the FIFA World Player award.
"This has been my best year as a professional footballer," he admitted. "But my aim is to improve with every year that passes.
"I don't look back, but set my sights on doing things right so that come 2009, I can be one of the candidates again, and so that next time, I can try and go one step further.
"The hardest part is not getting there, it's staying there.
"Look at Gerrard. He has never won the award, and he deserves it as much as anyone, but he is always there with the best. My team-mate Stevie is the best role model there is."
Torres added: "I adapted to English football easier than expected.
"We knew that, when I embarked upon this adventure, my style and attributes would adapt well to the demands of the Premier League.
"We made the right choice when it came to signing for Liverpool and playing in England.
"Last season we almost qualified for the Champions League final, and it was a shame that we didn't make it all the way to Moscow.
"And as for Spain national team, what can I say? The trophy we achieved playing as a team has catapulted the players into a position where we are challenging for individual awards and prizes."
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Well done Fernando, you deserve it. Little gutted he didn't get 1st though. Wonderful achievements in his first season in English football while Ronaldo has been there for about 5 years. Torres to win it soon ,anyone?
