Spanish Golden Boy went Anfield....

LONDON (AFP) - Spanish striker Fernando Torres on Wednesday finalised his transfer to Liverpool from Atletico Madrid.The 23-year-old signed a six-year contract to play for compatriot Rafael Benitez at Anfield and he was unveiled in the number nine shirt vacated by Kop favourite Robbie Fowler.

"I'm very happy to be joining the club. It is a fantastic opportunity to be joining one of the best clubs in Europe with a fantastic history," said Torres who is reported to have cost up to 26.5 million pounds (53 million dollars).

"You don't get opportunities like this every day of your life."Torres passed a medical at the club's Melwood training ground on Tuesday and briefly flew back to his homeland to say an emotional goodbye to fans in Madrid where he had a record of 82 goals in 214 league games.He then returned to Merseyside to complete the formalities of the transfer.

Asked what impact manager Benitez had on his decision, the Spain striker said: "It was important, the confidence shown in me by him. When you hear a club like Liverpool is interested in you it is something that fills you with a lot of surprise and a lot of pride."Torres insisted he was ready to work hard to live up to his high price tag.

"The figures that have been mentioned are bound to bring an added pressure, but when you sign for a club like Liverpool you've got to bear pressure.

"I know the demands are high but I believe in hard work and think I can work hard to fulfil those expectations."

Asked whether it would be hard to adapt to the English top flight, Torres added: "Liverpool are a slightly different case, I have spoken to my team-mates who have come from the Spanish league so that will help with settling in.

"Torres would not be drawn on reports that Chelsea had been interested in signing him last summer."I don't think it does any good to speak about what happened in the past. As soon as I heard of Liverpool's interest that was the only club I wanted to consider," he addedThe Torres transfer brings Benitez's spending spree in the three years he has been at Anfield to a whopping 121 million pounds (180 million euros).

He passed the three-year mark in Merseyside last month and the arrival of his young compatriot will leave him with no excuses for lack of success in the new season.The Spanish coach has been quick to criticise the supposed lack of funds at Anfield to allow him to compete with the financial muscle of Chelsea, but his three year spending spree is the biggest in the club's history.

Torres is the big name that Benitez believes will fire Liverpool into a title-challenging position challenging the might of Chelsea and arch rivals Manchester United.He will find himself under pressure to produce the 20 goals a season tally crucial to a title-chasing side.

Fans will certainly expect him to do better than Benitez's previous striking purchases. Fernando Morientes, Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt, and Peter Crouch have all failed to provide the dynamic goals-per-game ratio Benitez craves.

But with Torres on board, the manager now knows excuses will not be tolerated next term if a title challenge fails to materialise.