Fernando Torres has again admitted his status at Liverpool is linked to manager Rafa Benitez.

"It was Rafa who called me to join Liverpool, and that showed his trust in me," the Spain forward told liverpoolfc.tv.

"He wanted me to join a team of champions and I saw that as a vote of confidence. This confidence was a serious factor in me joining.

"In Spain he has been at many clubs. He was at Tenerife and led the league, and won La Liga and the UEFA Cup with Valencia. At Liverpool he won the Champions League. He is a recognised winner in Spain both with small clubs and massive clubs like ours.

"He is known throughout Spain as someone who brings success and he is a treasure for all Spaniards."