Fernando Torres started playing football in his district, but one day the coach of a rival team sent a formal complaint to the federation because he was not the legal age to play in that competition. It was true – his parents had faked his registration – but he was not too old, he was two years younger than permitted. And he was the top goalscorer that season.

Later on, when he was a tall, thin 11-year-old, he went for a trial at Atlético Madrid. “He showed intelligence, explosive pace and bravery. He did not think football like a child would,” Manolo Rangel, the coach who gave marks to the youngsters and who became his mentor, said. He gave Torres 11 out of 10.

What makes Torres special, though, is not his ability, but his mental strength. Listening to him in a restaurant near the Atlético training ground, the reaction to his words is one of amazement – he sounds older than his 23 years.

“At 17 you can earn lots of money,” he says. “If you don’t have sensible parents, you could be lost for football very soon. Some parents think they have a goldmine in their kid – I see it every weekend in the youth matches I go to. I have had colleagues that were better than me and they never made it because their parents never allowed them to enjoy their football.”

Torres was born in a modest district in the southern part of Madrid. “It is a working-class area,” he says. “When you grow up in a place like that, you never forget where you are from. My parents taught me to respect the family, the authority of the elders.

“Those are also the values of Atlético, the humble, poor club of the city. Atlético fans come from similar backgrounds to me and that is why there is such closeness to them. And why I will never play for Real Madrid. Once your life starts changing, it is important to remember who helped you.”

Torres talks with a monotone voice, looking you in the eye. The voice says shyness, the eyes confidence. And his words reveal the extent to which he has had to grow up quickly.

He is the youngest player, at 17, to play for Atlético and the youngest, at 19, to become captain. He made his debut in 2001 against Leganes and scored his first goal the next week against Albacete. After two years in the second division, Atlético returned to the top flight and Torres scored 13 goals. Since then, he has been the club’s top scorer in every season.

“I have lots to improve still,” Torres said. “I love learning from the best forwards in the world. [Thierry] Henry has been better than any other player in the world. Till recently, people didn’t talk about the Premiership that often. But for the last two years it is almost an obligation to sit down to watch the Premiership.”

In 1999, he was voted best young player in Europe and Arsenal tried to sign him because he had no contract. He got one straight away. Recently it was extended until 2009, but the buyout clause was reduced from €60 million to €40 million (about £27 million). He said then that “the club will grow and me with it”, but also that “we have to make it into Europe, be top four”, which sounded like conditions to stay.

Rumours last summer suggested that Torres was close to joining Manchester United. There were meetings between Sir Alex Ferguson and his representatives in Paris, but after United signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur, the chance had gone.

Two weeks ago, friends gave Torres a captain’s armband for his birthday bearing the logo “We’ll never walk alone”, which led some to speculate that he would be moving to Liverpool. “My group of mates have got that logo tattooed on their arms,” Torres says. “I have been told about Anfield and how special it is, but I haven’t managed to go yet. I would like to, though.”

Torres is probably the best player outside the Champions League, a competition that he has never been involved in, even though Atlético are considered, in terms of fan-base, history and financial strength, one of Spain’s top three clubs. “In Spain, clubs have no patience,” Torres says. “In the last seven years I have had six coaches. If there is a new boss, seven new signings, we start every year from zero.”

Some consider this the reason why his progress has faltered. Initially, he had been greeted as the next big star. He was different from the typical Spanish striker and seemed to have come from the French school of forwards, from the same mould as Henry and Nicolas Anelka, who are skilful, powerful and score goals.

But now people concentrate more on his weaknesses, saying that he is more interested in raising his profile, in the manner of David Beckham, than improving on the pitch.

“I change my hairstyle, so what?” Torres said. “I think it shows football is becoming more like showbusiness, but what can I do about that?”

Luis Aragonés, the Spain head coach, also said recently that Torres “still has a poor first touch and doesn’t finish well”, and despite fitting the profile of the player Manchester United and Liverpool are looking for, he is, as a friend said, second in many lists of potential targets. But Torres appears to be keen to play abroad.

“It is important that Spanish players go to another league,” he said. “All those in England have grown as players, they are more complete.”

Those words will have many Premiership managers pricking up their ears.

Direct criticism

José Mourinho has been accused of destroying the beautiful game by Jorge Valdano, the former Real Madrid coach, who has labelled Rafael Benítez as being just as bad. Of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Anfield last week, Valdano said: “Put s*** hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate stadium and there are people who will tell you it’s a work of art. Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest example of the way football is going: very intense, very tactical, very physical and very direct.”