Benitez made a huge statement of intent when he bought Torres to Liverpool in the summer of 2007. He had been an idol Atletico Madrid, and although many of the biggest clubs in Europe had been keeping an eye on the young Spaniard, it was Reds who acquired his signature. During his first three seasons at Anfield he was sensational, becoming the best striker in the world in the process. He had everything in his armoury: pace, strength, skill, goals and work-rate. In his debut campaign in 2007/08 he found the net 33 times in just 46 games, including several hugely important Champions League goals as Liverpool reached the semi-finals, while in 2008/09 he formed an amazing strike partnership with Gerrard, who Benitez had moved higher up the pitch. Torres scored 17 times despite injury, as the Reds finished second in the Premier League. 2009/10 was his last full season at the club, and he scored 22 times. Although things ended on a bitter note, with Torres joining rivals Chelsea in January 2011, it's still impossible to deny that he was a superb servant to Liverpool. The fact that he was abysmal at Stamford Bridge probably cushions the blow a little as well.
