Fernando Torres says former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard was the best player he played with.

Torres has announced his retirement as he prepares for his final game in Japan with Sagan Tosun.

Torres played with midfield masters such as Andres Iniesta and Xavi for the Spain national side, but it was Gerrard who made the biggest impression.

He said: "I always say the best player I played with is Steven Gerrard.

"I found he was the player who completed my game. I think my level got into a different dimension when I was on the pitch with him.

"It was an amazing three-and-a-half years playing alongside Steven and I would love to go back to those days - even for one minute."

Appropriately, Torres will play his final match on August 23 against Vissel Kobe, coming up against former Spain team-mates and close friends Iniesta and David Villa.