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Fernando Torres announces retirement

Torres scored 81 competitive goals for Liverpool before joining Chelsea in January 2011.

Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has announced his retirement from football.

The 35-year-old Spaniard, who has been playing in Japan for Sagan Tosu since leaving Atletico Madrid last year, scored 81 goals across four seasons with Liverpool and won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup with Chelsea.

A World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, Torres said on Twitter: “I have something very important to announce. After 18 exciting years, the time has come to put an end to my football career.”

He will reveal more about his decision to retire at a press conference in Tokyo on Sunday at 1000 local time (0200BST).

After breaking through at hometown club Atletico, Torres moved to Liverpool in July 2007 and scored 24 Premier League goals in his first campaign in England.

He made a £50million deadline-day switch to Chelsea in January 2011 and, despite recording disappointing goal hauls in the league, his late goal against Barcelona in April 2012 sent the Blues to the Champions League final, which they would go on to win at the expense of Bayern Munich.

Torres had already won both the 2008 European Championship and South Africa-hosted World Cup with Spain and he conquered Europe for a second time with La Roja in 2012.

A loan spell at AC Milan from Chelsea preceded his return to Atletico in January 2015 before the Fuenlabrada-born forward made his move to Japan last July.

Liverpool and Chelsea both wished Torres well in retirement, tweeting video highlights of his goals for their respective causes. Atletico, meanwhile, said they were: “Very proud of a legendary career.”

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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