Fernando Torres believes Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard had the advantage over Chelsea icon Frank Lampard when it came to who was the better player. The former Spanish striker was a Liverpool hero before he controversially left for the Blues in January 2011.
Liverpool take on Chelsea this Saturday, with the rivals often facing off in the transfer window over the years. Torres' time at Anfield was underscored by his almost telepathic connection with Gerrard. The duo combined a number of times to serve up some of Anfield's most famous goals in its recent history. After scoring 81 times in just three-and-a-half years, he left for west London under a cloud.
Although the forward won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, it appears he reserves his fondest memories for Anfield. The debate over who was the better player between Gerrard and Lampard has raged since both players burst onto the scene at the turn of the Millennium.
Torres, however, had no such qualms in picking his favourite out of the pair. In a 2024 video, Torres was asked to answer a series of 'this or that' questions by placing the ball on the relevant side of the goal and it's fair to say the Reds came out on top. Torres elected Anfield over Stamford Bridge. Next, he opted for Gerrard over Lampard, before completing the treble by favouring Rafael Benitez over Jose Mourinho.
The two England icons have constantly been compared with many struggling to separate two of England's most gifted midfielders. Italy legend Marco Materazzi once plucked for Lampard in the debate, Paul Scholes, who has often been included in the debate, chose to remain impartial while Rio Ferdinand chose Lampard for his goals but Gerrard for big-game moments.
Despite his frosty departure from Merseyside, Torres returned to Anfield in 2024 for a legends match against Ajax, where he shared the pitch with Gerrard and other greats. The Kop faithful cheered him on as he scored, marking a full-circle moment in his relationship with the club.
Torres has spoken candidly about his move to Chelsea, stating that he felt he had no choice but to leave the club. He claimed Liverpool were more focused on signing young talent for future success rather than immediate impact players. "They wanted to bring in young players, to build something new," Torres is quoted as saying in Simon Hughes' 2016 book 'Ring of Fire: Liverpool FC into the 21st Century - The Players' Stories'. "I was thinking to myself, this takes time to work. It takes two, three, four, maybe even 10 years. I didn't have that time. I was 27 years old. I did not have time to wait. I wanted to win. Here we are five years later and they are still trying to build – around the same position in the league as when I left."
In 2019, Torres expressed his enduring affection for Liverpool, saying: "I'm really proud to say I will support Liverpool forever, it doesn't matter what happened. Even when things between us were not at their best, I felt that I needed to support Liverpool. The city, fans and club will always be in my heart because it's the way I feel and I cannot change that."
