Does any player quite capture what makes the Premier League the most enthralling league in the world quite like Fernando Torres?  In a season when he scored fewer goals than ever before, hounded by the press for his loss of form, the Chelsea sharpshooter won more silverware than he’d ever dreamed of collecting in a single campaign. Where in Spain the likes of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are left to run riot through defences with seldom interruption, Torres’ career has been filled the same sort of drama and spectacle that makes the Premier League what it is.

Since his £50 million transfer from Merseyside, the former Liverpool striker has been painted as unpredictable and worse still, unreliable. But the truth is that even factoring in the difficult transition period he endured, Torres is one of the league’s all-time most consistent performers. His 74 goals since arriving at Liverpool in 2007 make him one of the deadliest finishers to have graced English football. But it’s the quality – not quantity – of those goals that has made him the icon he is today.

His influence on the pitch goes beyond goals, too. Opta statistics show with Torres on the pitch, Roberto Di Matteo’s Champions League winners are a more progressive team, playing a greater percentage of balls forward. His combination of strength and speed open up many avenues for the Blues that are often unnoticed. Whether holding the ball up or linking with the equally excellent Juan Mata on Chelsea’s flank, more astute commentators have observed that though – as the newspapers are so keen to point out – Torres’ strike rate has fallen, his all-round play has actually improved in his time at Stamford Bridge.

Last season, he managed 12 assists and a further six secondary assists. This season his quiet rejuvenation as a more complete player has continued and though the incredible price tag he fetched in January 2011 continues to weigh heavily on his shoulders Torres has been in influential form. “Still not an automatic first team choice!” shout the tabloids in sensational fashion – but who in squad filled with as much as talent as Chelsea’s (added to this summer with the acquisition of the mercurial Eden Hazard), at a club time-renowned for their rotation policy, would be an automatic choice?

For all the analysis and statistics the football world likes to obsess over, some players are just special, plain and simple. Torres is one of those – he has this magnetism for special moments. Which is why it was him the ball broke to as the clock ran down on Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona. Why at Euro 2008 it was his goal that claimed Spain their first tournament triumph in decades of trying. Why despite a rather subdued Euro 2012 he claimed three goals to take home the Golden Boot.

On Saturday Torres is probable to lineup for Chelsea against Arsenal at the Emirates in a match of great importance, even at this early stage in the season. In a turbulent week for the Stamford Bridge club – the media circus around John Terry in full swing as the FA investigation into alleged racism concluded the defender should miss four games and pay a £220,000 fine – the focus will be off Torres in the run up to the game. But as soon as he steps onto the pitch, you can bet it’ll be all eyes on El Niño again.

---

Follow Icons on Twitter for all the latest football news and chatter: @Icons_Football

This Saturday Chelsea and Liverpool clash at Wembley in the 131st FA Cup final. To celebrate this fantastic footballing occasion, Icons are offering special discounts on personally signed boots from star strikers Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez.

Fernando Torres has endured a difficult time at Chelsea since his £50m transfer from Liverpool in January 2011, but his dramatic solo goal in the dying minutes of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at Camp Nou has proved a turning point. Playing with newly-found confidence and conviction, Torres smashed a superb hat-trick in the following game against QPR. He is now making a strong case for inclusion in Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad for Euro 2012. Check out his personally signed Nike Total 90 boot here and grab yourself a fantastic £75 OFF while the offer lasts.

The day before Torres' hat-trick against QPR, Liverpool's Luis Suarez completed one of the finest trebles in Premier League history in a 3-0 defeat of Norwich. The fiery Uruguayan has been a figure of controversy this season, but his performance against Norwich was a reminder of the dazzling skill and ability that has made him one of Europe's most in-demand strikers. Now is your chance to make the most of a fantastic £75 REDUCTION and pick up an Adidas F50 boot personally signed by Suarez himself. Take a look here.

Cup competitions have provided welcome relief for both Chelsea and Liverpool this season. While Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool have already secured the Carling Cup trophy, Chelsea have the Champions League final against Bayern Munich to look forward to on 25 May. With a historic cup double on the cards for both sides, Saturday’s match promises to be a fiercely contested affair.

So who will you be backing, Liverpool or Chelsea? Suarez or Torres? Grab your discounted signed boot now, and let us know your FA Cup final predictions on Twitter @icons_football.

Buy the Suarez boot HERE

Buy the Torres boot HERE

Chelsea's Fernando Torres is finally putting his nightmare start at Stamford Bridge behind him. The £50m man only managed one goal in 18 appearances for the Blues last term, but a new season has heralded a new start, and with four goals and three assists in nine games so far, Torres returns from suspension against Arsenal this Saturday with restored confidence and a point to prove.

Torres has looked an altogether different animal this season, prompting manager André Villas-Boas and teammates alike to hail his improved performances and renewed hunger in front of goal. Chelsea boast a formidable glut of striking talent, but if the former Liverpool man can recapture his Anfield form, he will be confident of keeping the likes of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Daniel Sturridge out of the team.

The Spaniard took the Premier League by storm after his £21m transfer from Atlético Madrid to Rafa Benitez's Liverpool in 2007. Torres emerged as one of Europe's brightest young talents in the Spanish capital, and after making his debut at the age of 17, 'El Niño' became Atlético's youngest ever club captain two years later. By the time he departed the Vicente Calderón, Torres had hit an impressive 82 goals in 214 appearances.

It was at Anfield, however, that he truly blossomed. Allying pace and strength with deadly finishing and intelligent movement, Torres surpassed Ruud van Nistelrooy's record for the highest scoring debut season from a foreign import in the Premier League, with 24 goals. He quickly became a Kop favourite and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in successive seasons. 

It was only after Rafa Benitez's departure from Liverpool in the summer of 2010 that Torres began to consider his future. The side struggled under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, and when Chelsea came in for him in the 2011 January transfer window, a disillusioned Torres was able to complete an acrimonious transfer away from the club. At £50m, Torres set a new British transfer record and became the fourth most expensive player in history.

After a difficult start at Chelsea, Torres now looks set to become the focal point of the Blues' attack. The signings of fellow Spaniards Juan Mata - with whom Torres has already combined to devastating effect - and former Barcelona youngster Oriel Romeu have helped him settle in London, and his improved morale has sparked a string of encouraging performances.

At international level, Torres has scored 27 goals in 89 appearances for Spain, and has featured in every major tournament since Euro 2004. Among his career highlights is his man of the match performance and winning goal in Spain's 1-0 victory in the Euro 2008 final. Torres is, of course, a World Cup winner too, but his involvement for Spain in South Africa was hindered by a lack of fitness after an injury-disrupted 2009/10 season with Liverpool.

Things are looking up for a resurgent Torres though, and when Chelsea welcome London rivals Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, he will be the man charged with breaking the Gunners down. Suddenly, he's looking like someone Chelsea can rely on.

 ---

Check out our fantastic range of personally signed Torres products here, and to keep up with Icons, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook

Have a listen to the cracking new Chappers podcast from our friends at Championship Manager.  You'll even have a chance to win an icons signed Fernando Torres Liverpool shirt!

http://www.championshipmanager.co.uk/playpodcast?podcast=36

Great news from Anfield yesterday that Fernando Torres had publically declared his intention to stay at Liverpool. In his own words, "I feel the fans love me and everyone knows I am really happy here and really happy to play at Anfield. I'm looking forward to starting the season."

At icons, we love Fernando Torres too. Fernando Torres signed Liverpool shirt is the best selling product on icons.com, and it was revealed by the Premier League yesterday that Liverpool shirts with his name on the back is the best selling shirt in the world. We know he appeals not just to fans of Liverpool but to all true football fans across the globe who constantly ask us about his products.

Not only is Torres probably the most exciting player in the Premier League, off the pitch, he is always fantastic to deal with in person as well. A true icon of the game.

Sign up for the icons email newsletter to the first to know when our next signing with the World Cup winning legend will be. Hopefully we'll have more good news very soon. 

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi won the European Footballer of the Year award yesterday topping a poll of journalists from across the world. In a stellar year the little Argentinian won La Liga, El Copa del Rey and the Champions League and helped his national team qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Below is a special commemorative signed 'Campeones 2009' shirt we asked him to do for us at the last signing session we had with him in September.

He won the poll by 240 votes from his nearest challenger Cristiano Ronaldo, another of icons.com star signings. Bareclona and Real Madrid players dominate the poll as the top seven players all played for the Spanish clubs in this calendar year. Steven Gerrard was 10th, Fernando Torres 11th and Cesc Fabregas came in 12th.

For the full list click here

The list of nominees for the Ballon D'Or was announced yesterday with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way. The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the European footballer of the year, and is voted for by journalists and organised by France Football magazine. The winner will be announced on 1 December.

The full list of nominees is below, featuring as many as nine players featured on the icons.com site.

Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Diego (Juventus), Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg), Samuel Eto'o (Internazionale), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona), Andreas Iniesta (Barcelona), Julio Cesar (Internazionale), Kaka (Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Maicon (Internazionale), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Luis Fabiano (Seville), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), David Villa (Valencia), Xavi (Barcelona), Yaya Toure (Barcelona).

Hopefully, over the coming year we can add big names to the site from this illustrious list and bring you products from as many of the world's best players as possible. Let us know who you would like to see on the site by emailing us at icons.com

Fernando Torres recently conducted his sixth signing for icons; we are delighted to have a new range of products available.

Fans will be excited to learn we have photos from two of Liverpool's greatest victories last season, showing Fernando's celebrations after scoring against both Real Madrid and Manchester United.

We also have a limited edition of embroidered Euro 2008 Spain shirts. There are currently no more of these shirts available on the market so it is unlikely we will be able to offer this product again in the future.

Check back soon when we will be unveiling a new, very limited edition shirt signed with his special El Nino signature.