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Fernando Torres’ Liverpool legacy is not measured just by the goals he scored in the ­famous red shirt, writes Neil Moxley in the Sunday People.

Former boss Rafa Benitez says the Spain star was instrumental in the signing of new Kop hero Raheem Sterling.

Back in early 2010, Torres was at the peak of the goalscoring powers that persuaded Chelsea to hand over £50million for him a year later.

Benitez was showing Sterling around the Reds' training complex at Melwood, when they bumped into Torres and Steven Gerrard.

And Benitez, who ­returned home this week to the north-west ­during a break from his day job with Napoli, ­revealed how a few words from the ­striker may have tipped the balance in Liverpool’s favour.

Sterling was a schoolboy with QPR when ­Liverpool pitched for his services in a deal initially valued at £400,000.

That figure could rocket into the ­millions, but it was by no means a foregone ­conclusion that the youngster would even put pen to paper at that stage – until Torres stepped in.

Benitez recalled: “Our then ­academy boss Frank McParland came up to me one day and said, ‘I’ve seen this player – we’ve been following him for a while and I think he’s got something.’

“So we invited Raheem to Melwood and had a meeting with him and his mother.

“I walked around the complex with them and was showing them the ­facilities and we got as far as the ­physio’s room.

“Fernando was there – and I think Steven Gerrard, too. But definitely Fernando.I explained what Raheem and his mum were doing and I told Fernando what we thought of the young player we had brought in.

“He had a quick chat with him, asking how he was getting on. He was interested in him.

“Raheem was really pleased – and you could see his mum was, too – really ­impressed that the club’s biggest players had made a fuss of him.

(Image: Getty)

“It was strange for me to show the young players around because in Spain, the manager doesn’t go around with new players, even younger ones. But I think they appreciated that we, all of us, had taken time to speak to them. Torres and Gerrard really were the big players in our team at that time.

“As the manager, it was a great for me to have them around.”

Benitez admits he was unaware of just how good Sterling was, but he said: “We soon saw what everyone is seeing now. He has this pace and ability and is very comfortable in possession.

“He was not scared of receiving the ball in any position. He is a big asset for any manager because he can play anywhere along the front for club and his country.”

Benitez did sound a note of ­caution, however.

As Liverpool head into their first Champions League ­campaign since 2009-10, Reds’ boss Brendan Rodgers has ­spoken about young players ­having too much too soon.

Although Sterling is in line for a new contract, the Ulsterman is taking a softly-softly approach and Benitez agrees that it is a difficult balance to strike.

He said: “This is a big risk – a big problem in modern ­football. How to ­protect and look after them. They are still learning and you need to keep them focused.

“In the past, they did not ­receive the same exposure. Now, everyone knows about them. They are on computer games. There is television coverage. They have agents talking to them.

“It is easy for them to become ­distracted. And it is far more difficult to control the environment of a player. But Raheem has all the qualities. It is in his hands. In the end, only he can decide which way he is going to go.”