Mikel Arteta has spoken of his admiration for Fernando Torres and believes stopping him is a key to Everton's FA Cup hopes. The Blues midfielder is a good friend of El Nino and admits he hasn't been surprised by the impact he has made at Anfield.
"I don't think people realise how hard it was for Fernando at Atletico Madrid," said Arteta.
"He was captain of them when he was 18 - just one-and-a-half years after he had been a professional. There was so much pressure on him and he was only a kid.
"Since moving here, all that pressure has gone away. He couldn't even walk down the street when he was in Madrid. Being in Liverpool was like a release for him and I think he has been unbelievable since he came here.
"He settled in so quickly, he scored a lot of goals and everyone is really happy with him. He's got a great character. But if we leave him like we did at Goodison? We know what is going to happen..."
The Blues number 10 also spoke of his close relationship with Red rivals Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina and revealed the banter that goes on before a derby.Read more....
"He was captain of them when he was 18 - just one-and-a-half years after he had been a professional. There was so much pressure on him and he was only a kid.
"Since moving here, all that pressure has gone away. He couldn't even walk down the street when he was in Madrid. Being in Liverpool was like a release for him and I think he has been unbelievable since he came here.
"He settled in so quickly, he scored a lot of goals and everyone is really happy with him. He's got a great character. But if we leave him like we did at Goodison? We know what is going to happen..."
The Blues number 10 also spoke of his close relationship with Red rivals Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina and revealed the banter that goes on before a derby.Read more....
