“I would give anything to score a goal in the final,” Fernando Torres said on the eve of the Euro 2008 showpiece against Germany in Vienna. The following day, he not only did score, but his goal proved the catalyst for an era of dominance for La Roja.

There were 32 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock.

Xavi slid a low ball forward for Torres to chase.

The striker’s first touch was not the best, but he beat Philipp Lahm for pace, racing around the full-back before chipping a delicate finish over the advancing Jens Lehmann and into the corner from just inside the box.

Torres ran to the corner flag, thumb in mouth, to be met by his jubilant team-mates.

Andres Iniesta arrived first, then Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Ramos, Joan Capdevila, Xavi, Carles Puyol and Marcos Senna. In the crowd, thousands of Spain supporters celebrated wildly. Even the king and queen were on their feet.

On its way inside the far post, the ball had bounced twice on the long grass and taken what seemed an age to hit the net.

“The ball slid off the turf and the explosion of joy was incredible,” Torres said later.

“The minutes were never-ending after that, anything could happen until the end of the match, but when the referee blew the whistle, all that tension turned to an immense feeling of satisfaction and pride.”

That Spanish side went on to dominate international football for the next four years, winning a World Cup in 2010 and another European Championship in 2012. And although that team will always be associated with the passing and possession football of Xavi and Iniesta, it was Torres’ goal which sealed the all-important first piece of silverware.

And he was there throughout. In 2010, he was selected for the World Cup despite undergoing knee surgery in April. “It has been four years waiting and if the timelines are good, I won’t think about missing it,” he said the day after his operation. “I’ll start working today.”

Physically, Torres was not right in South Africa, but he still contributed: his run down the left against Chile forced Claudio Bravo off his line and left David Villa with an open goal for the first in a 2-1 win; and it was his cross which was cleared before Cesc set up Iniesta for the winner in the final against the Netherlands after he had come on in extra time.

Two years later, he came off the bench again to score one and assist another as Spain beat Italy to claim Euro 2012. The goal and assist also saw El Niño win the Golden Boot ahead of Mario Gomez, thanks to him having played fewer minutes than the Germany forward.

Torres also won his 100th cap in 2012, captaining the Spain side in the absence of skipper Iker Casillas, and the Porto goalkeeper led the tributes to the striker after he announced his retirement on Friday.

“THANK YOU @Torres for all the good moments we have spent together,” he wrote on Twitter. “Be very proud of all you have given to football. You only have to see the affection you receive wherever you go. Good luck in your next chapter, Niño!”

Casillas was right about the universal admiration for Torres and a host of former team-mates and rivals took to social media to pay tribute to El Niño.

Steven Gerrard posted a picture of the two celebrating a Liverpool goal and wrote: “The smile says it all really I loved playing with you and it was a pleasure to share a dressing room together. Fantastic player and a great person. All the best with your future.”

Alongside Gerrard at Liverpool, Torres played perhaps the finest football of his career. In an explosive debut season, he netted 33 times in 46 appearances and he added 17 more as the Reds challenged for the title in 2008-09, losing out by four points to Manchester United.

His move to Chelsea in January 2011 caused controversy and upset Liverpool fans, although most have since forgiven him. Torres struggled to get going as a Blues player, never quite looking the same after his injury and race to be fit for the World Cup in 2010, but he did win trophies at Stamford Bridge.

One goal still stands out: his breakaway strike at Camp Nou in the Champions League semi-finals which saw Chelsea beat Barcelona en route to winning the biggest prize in club football.

The following season, he also netted in the Europa League final as the Blues overcame Benfica. A sweet moment, no doubt, after his injury against the Lisbon giants in 2010.

“We really wanted to win this Europa League,” he said afterwards. “Perhaps it was our only opportunity [to win this competition]. I’m very happy.”

Read more Fernando Torres announces his retirement from football at 35

A short-lived spell at AC Milan came next, before a triumphant return to Atletico Madrid. Had things been different, Torres may never have left his home in the first place. But the Rojiblancos were a club in chaos in his first spell.

Torres had made his debut as a 17-year-old, with the club then in Spain’s Segunda Division, while he was used as a bank guarantee as Atletico borrowed money from Valencia and was loaded with the additional burden of the captaincy at the age of just 19.

So often left to fight a lost cause in attack, he hit 91 goals in his seven seasons at the Vicente Calderon but grew frustrated and decided to move on after a 6-0 defeat at home to Barcelona in 2006-07.

When he returned, it was to a very different Atletico, but the fans had not forgotten his contribution and 45,000 turned up to see his unveiling at the Vicente Calderon.

Back at Atleti, he scored 38 times in 160 games, but he craved a major trophy (having claimed only the Segunda Division title) with his boyhood club and was left heartbroken as the Rojiblancos were beaten on penalties by Real Madrid in the Champions League final in 2015-16.

In his very last game for the club, that long wait ended as Atletico beat Marseille 2-0 in the Europa League final and a competition which had been considered secondary for the club earlier in the season meant everything to the fans' biggest idol.

“Proud of this team and these fans,” Torres wrote on Instagram afterwards. Thank you with all my heart. I couldn’t be happier.”

And after a brief spell in Japan with Sagan Tosu, El Niño announced his retirement with a video on social media on Friday. “I have something very important to announce,” he said. “After 18 exciting years, the time has come to put an end to my football career.”

Twice European champion with Spain, a World Cup winner, Champions League winner, one of only eight Spanish players to make the Ballon d’Or podium, still the top-scoring Spaniard in Premier League history, goalscorer galore, Atletico idol and above all, one of football’s good guys, Torres will be missed on the football field.

The 35-year-old will give a press conference in Japan on Sunday to discuss his decision and perhaps what is to come next. And whatever that is, he still has a big contribution to make.

So it is not really an adiós, but more of an hasta luego to Fernando, the man who helped change Spanish football forever.