Fran Torres was not supposed to break out after two months in the Manchester City uniform, but with an imitation model such as David Silva, he seemed to have no choice • With shares rising in the national team, Pep Guardiola is in love: "He has a great sense of orientation" • Tonight he will try to continue In Momentum vs. Olympiacos (19:55)
Fran Tours.
Did not take off in Valencia, but flourished in England
Photography:
AFP
When Valencia won the King's Cup in 2008, Fran Torres was 8 years old who played in the Bats' youth division, and traveled with his family to the exciting final at Vicente Calderon against Hattafa.
Torres saw his idol, David Silva, a partner in achievement and already knew then that there was nothing he wanted more than to play in the diversion.
With tremendous symbolism and a move that represents the generational change in Manchester City, in the summer when Silva left the Blues after a glorious decade, Torres came to Etihad and inherited his shirt with the number 21.
Unlike Silva who came to City as a world champion, the extremist came as a potential for the future, as Pep Guardiola loves.
No one expected that two months after the start of the season he would be the hottest man on the team.
The lack of faith in Torres' immediate success in the kingdom stemmed entirely from a few things.
In Spain he was perceived as a shy and a bit scared child, he scored just eight goals and eight assists in 84 appearances in Valencia, and the fact that he left his youth team during one of its most difficult periods in recent years has raised fears that it will affect him mentally.
When Torres signed for City, ESPN analyzed what he would bring with him to the Premier League runners-up, arguing that he should expect several months of adjustment.
In practice, so far he has scored in all Champions League games, with City in perfect balance.
With the goal against Atlanta in the last 16 last year, he has four goals in his last four games in the factory, and is the third youngest player (aged 20 and 248 days) to record such an achievement in the Champions League, after Killian Ambape and Arling Holland.
The injuries of Con Aguero and Gabriel Jesus led Guardiola to make him a mock striker, and Torres also did an excellent job.
"He's not a striker, but I congratulate him for making an effort to play in that position. Fran has a great sense of direction, even if he did not know it," Pep said.
The process of rejuvenation that Guardiola had to do at City is very similar to what is happening in Luis Enrique's Spain squad.
Torres' opening in England also raised his stakes in La Rucha.
Last week, when Spain crushed Germany 0-6, Torres scored a hat-trick and caused the big skeptics to applaud.
The special character of David Silva and his involvement in the club's successful decade, caused quite a few City fans to expect the club to set the number 21 as a mark of honor, even though it did not achieve what they so longed for - winning the Champions League.
Torres, who got into his shoes, has an anchor tattoo on his leg, and the caption "I refuse to sink."
The pit that City entered the league at such an early stage is not easy.
If the motto of her new player permeates his teammates and they recover, and at the same time continue to sail in the Champions League perhaps on the way to winning, Torres' name will be engraved in his first season in the history books.
If City reach the final, there is a high probability that Silva will come to watch and close the circle for that final in Madrid.