Watch: Fernando Torres Chooses His Ultimate Starting XI

Love him or hate him for the way he left, Fernando Torres was one of the best Liverpool players in modern history. He arrived on Merseyside after the big wins of 2005 and 2006 and so never got to lift a trophy with the club. Still, his partnership with captain Steven Gerrard was the stuff of legends for a few, glorious years.

Recently, the retired Torres sat down with the official site and came up with his Ultimate Starting XI.

While his World Cup winning Spanish teammates filled most of the positions, Torres chose three Liverpool players for his team. His picks will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool squads.

Torres took Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso as his defensive midfielders, a duo that worked well together at Anfield. The third choice is the most obvious: making Steven Gerrard captain as well as an attacking midfielder.

Are there any influential Liverpool players from that time that you think should be added to the list? Probably the most glaring omission is Pepe Reina, who Torres played with for club and country. However, when up against Jan Oblak, Torres’s choice, or Iker Casillas, Pepe becomes a harder sell.