Fernando Torres

Chelsea forward Fernando Torres has revealed how his leaving Liverpool in 2011 had destroyed Steven Gerrard.

The Spaniard insisted that he left Liverpool to win trophies, something which he realised wouldn't be possible with the Reds, given their lack of investment.

The Reds sold key players by the likes of Javier Masherano and Xabi Alonso but did not invest the money recouped from those deals to strengthen their squad, something which Torres did not appreciate.

Torres was among the most prolific strikers for Liverpool in recent times, netting 81 goals in 142 appearances for the club but was struggling for form in the latter end of his tenure at Anfield.

The Reds eventually sold the club in 2010 and had to go through a lean period, where they failed to challenge for the title or qualify for Europe's biggest club competition.

Meanwhile, Torres achieved his dream of winning the Champions League in 2012 under Roberto Di Matteo and went on to win the Europa League in the following year under former boss Rafael Benitez.

"One day, Steven Gerrard came to say to me, "Fernando, now, you have to think of yourself. Do what you have to do," Torres told French magazine So Foot.

"But when I went to tell him that I was going to accept the Chelsea offer, it destroyed him. Announcing my departure from Liverpool to Gerrard was one of the most difficult moments of my career.

"At Liverpool, I had almost everything but titles. There, I felt like a king but the team was falling apart.

"The directors had sold [Javier] Mascherano to Barca, then Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid without investing any of the money to compensate for the departure of these two key players.

"I was 27, I wanted to know what it was like to lift the Champions League and I had the feeling it was not going to happen with Liverpool.

"Then they were in full transition, the club was being sold and in that case, unless you are Manchester City or PSG, it can be a long road before you are again competitive," he added.

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