Spain's Fernando Torres to lead Liverpool attack

Liverpool: The Kid has grown up. Liverpool signed Fernando Torres to lead their bid for the Premier League title after the striker outgrew his stay at Atletico Madrid, where he was nicknamed "El Nino" - "The Kid" - when he joined their youth team at age 11.

"I couldn't achieve my aspirations," said the 23-year-old Spaniard, who never experienced European cup football with Atletico. "I thought Liverpool's offer would give me the most at this stage of my career."

Liverpool smashed their transfer record to sign Atletico's captain for 20.3 million pounds ($40.6 million).

"He has power, pace, is good in the air, scores goals, can dribble," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "He is different to the other strikers we have at the moment."

But Torres hasn't looked sharp yet and has failed to score in pre-season. He even missed a penalty in a defeat to Portsmouth in last week's Asia Trophy final.

Another Spaniard at Liverpool, goalkeeper Pepe Reina, has warned Torres about the tough challenge ahead.

"It's always difficult for new players to adapt in the first year but we're going to try and make it as easy for him as possible and hopefully he'll score a lot of goals," Reina said.

"There was a lot of pressure on him before at Atletico Madrid and he handled it so I don't think it will be a problem for him here. He's a great lad, he will understand English football very early, he's learning the language and he's very strong mentally."

After making his full Atletico debut at 17, Torres went on to score 84 goals in 214 appearances.

But he never broke the 20-goal barrier in any of his seven La Liga seasons when Atletico's highest finish was seventh place.

With Spain, Torres has scored 14 times in 42 appearances since making his debut at 17.

At Liverpool, he'll have to prove himself worthy of wearing Ian Rush's No. 9 shirt.

The club's all-time record scorer had 346 goals in 660 games, guiding Liverpool to their last league title in 1990.

Despite winning the Champions League in 2005 - and reaching the final last season, losing 2-1 to AC Milan - Liverpool are desperate for a return to the domestic glory days.

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The Reds have won a record 18 English league titles, but have been hampered by a lack of attacking firepower in recent seasons.

Manchester United scored 83 goals while winning last year's Premier League. The Reds - 21 points behind in third place - scored just 57 times.

"We shoot more than anyone else and we have signed Fernando Torres because we want accuracy," Benitez said.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who was also interested in signing Torres, remains a fan.

"Torres is athletic, he's brave enough and he'll run the channels," Ferguson said. "He's good in the air and has got a physique. He's quicker than you think."

Outside of his comfort zone in Madrid, Torres hopes his career will take on a new dimension.

"I was famous in Spain, but I'd like to be famous throughout the world," he said.

Famous for his football, that is. His blond-highlighted hair and nickname belie the mature player who shuns nightclubs and wild partying.

"What's impressed me most is that he's not come here acting like a star name, but to work hard," Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said. "He's the type of player we need and everyone's really excited to have him among us. Hopefully he will be our big name who scores the goals and helps us win the trophies."

Torres could be the ruthless striker Liverpool has been missing since fans' favorite Michael Owen, who scored 158 goals in 297 games, left for Real Madrid in 2004 and is now back in the Premier League with Newcastle.

Benitez will be hoping Torres succeeds where another great Spanish striking prospect - Fernando Morientes - failed.

Morientes arrived from the Bernabeu in January 2005 as part of the deal which sent Owen to Madrid. But Morientes struggled to adapt to the pace of English football, scoring just nine times in the 2005/6 campaign and prompting a hasty exit.

Morientes was then omitted from Spain's World Cup squad - to make way for Torres.

"(Torres) is different to Morientes," Benitez said. "He is quicker and stronger. Morientes had other skills and was a very good finisher but Torres can run behind defenders, can play in the wide areas or play between the lines to receive the ball."