Over the past few years, a trend has emerged for clubs to bring former players back and hire them as managers.
Chelsea did it – disappointingly – with Frank Lampard, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried with Manchester United and, most successfully, Arsenal handed former captain Mikel Arteta the reins in 2019.
With Jurgen Klopp at the helm, Liverpool have never needed to worry about jumping in on this relatively new phenomenon. But as Klopp prepares to depart, the Reds continue to be linked with hiring former midfielder Xabi Alonso as his successor.
Alonso isn’t the only high profile former Liverpool player to be in management, though. Steven Gerrard’s pathway as a coach is well-documented, while the likes of Dirk Kuyt have also tried their hand. And now, one more name can be added to the list: Fernando Torres.
Fernando Torres speaks out on management
Torres is not brand new into the game of management, it must be said. The former Liverpool striker and World Cup winner has been in charge of Atletico Madrid’s U19 side since 2021.
However, Torres has seemingly stayed away from the spotlight in that time. He certainly has not spoken to any British press about his management style, anyway.
That changed this week, when the 40-year-old sat down with LFCTV ahead of this weekend LFC Legends game. And, you know what, it sounds like Torres might genuinely be a manager to keep a watch over.
“I got a lot from Simeone, Benitez, Mourinho, Ancelotti, Luis Aragones, Vincent del Bosque,” he says, when asked about his favoured tactical style. “So, I have played in very different styles of teams. In Spain at that time we played this famous tiki-taka, possession. It was not the football I like because I needed to run and use my speed and it was not the best place to do it.
“I like more the English style. I love the transition game and the press and to play quick and sharp. That’s why I’m a big fan of Jurgen since he was in Dortmund. I was really happy when I saw him signing for Liverpool.
“I also follow Pep Lijnders, I read his book. I can see many, many things they do daily and he’s a big inspiration. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to meet them, talk with them and see what they’re doing.”
Liverpool fans on alert
There’s obviously no chance of Torres being in the running to replace Klopp this summer, that should be said. But nevertheless, his idea to implement the German’s style of play while citing Lijnders too makes him an interesting proposition.
Of course, it’s one thing talking about it and another entirely putting it into practice. We’ll have to see Torres make the jump to senior football to know if he’ll ever be of the calibre needed to take over at Liverpool.
But just as it is with Alonso, the idea of Torres coming back to manage the Reds is certainly a romantic one.
Maybe, and perhaps this sounds stupid, but maybe he could even be an option to come in as Xabi’s assistant? El Nino clearly isn’t ready to make the jump to being a manager outright, but maybe that experience could be the next step for him.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves perhaps, but what a story that would be. Two of Liverpool’s most talented players of an era coming back together.
In the likely even that that doesn’t happen though, Torres has marked himself out as someone worth being aware of all the same.