Chelsea striker Fernando Torres is grateful for his experience at Liverpool.

Torres admits it was not a straightforward decision to leave Anfield, where he had become an important player after his £26.5million transfer from Atletico Madrid in July 2007.

"I owe Liverpool a huge amount. To the people, to the men in charge, to Benitez and his staff, to the city. Liverpool is a fundamental part of my life. They don't remember me that way, but time will change that," he said.

"I could not have chosen a better place to go when I left Atletico.

"My son is a Liverpool fan and he was already kicking a ball before he was one. He was born in the football city; he had no choice."

Torres added: "I decided to leave because I had to take a step forwards. It wasn't the best way to have gone, but nor were things exactly as they were sold [to people].

"One day the truth will come out. In a sporting sense, nothing was happening; a new project was needed. We talked about that - about growth."