Retour
Fernando Torres's move to Chelsea was highly controversial at the time(Image: Getty Images)
Fernando Torres's decision to join Chelsea was slammed as "unacceptable" by a former Liverpool team-mate. As former Reds captain Jordan Henderson prepares to return to Anfield with Chelsea for a Carabao Cup tie, it's almost 16 years since Torres traded Merseyside for west London in a £50million deal.
It was a controversial move, given the intense rivalry between the clubs, who had met regularly in the Champions League. Chelsea were Premier League champions at the time while Liverpool had endured a poor first half of the 2010/11 season.
Torres's comments after joining the Blues also didn't go down well with fans. He said: "This is the target for every footballer, to try to play for one of the top clubs in the world. They [Chelsea] are one of the biggest teams in Europe and are always fighting for everything."
Some of his team-mates were unhappy too, with Daniel Agger saying in 2013: "It is unacceptable to play for one of Liverpool’s arch rivals. For a Dane, it's about having respect for the club you play at.
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"I am proud to be able to pull on my Liverpool jersey and will never go to another club in England. I would never go to Manchester United or Everton, for example. It's about a form of respect for the club.
"I suppose Liverpool got a lot of money for him and, if the player doesn’t want to be there any more, there is no reason to keep him.
Torres was criticised by Daniel Agger (second from right)(Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
"I should say I think everyone at Melwood liked him and still do, because he is a good guy and we wish him all the best in a blue shirt, except against us."
As Liverpool ended up signing Luis Suarez for less than half the fee they received for Torres, who was a complete flop at Chelsea, things didn't turn out badly for the Reds.
Jordan Henderson is set to return to Anfield(Image: Getty)
While there were three years between Henderson leaving Liverpool and joining Chelsea, the move has not gone down well with some Reds fans, some of whom were particularly disappointed to see the 36-year-old tap the Chelsea badge after scoring in just his second game for the club.
Another Liverpool legend, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, has made it clear why he moved for the midfielder, despite his age. He said: "I see he's 36, but you tell me he's 28 when he was playing in Liverpool, and he was pressing and following the press and wanting the ball and having this impact, having this influence in the rest of the team. [That] hasn't changed that much."