Chelsea’s Fernando Torres: I never felt pressure of £50m price-tag

Fernando Torres insists he did not feel weighed down by his £50m price-tag as he made a stuttering start to life at Chelsea following his transfer from Liverpool.

The 28-year-old Spain striker, who moved to the Blues for a Premier League record fee in January 2011, went 24 games without finding the net last season as he struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge.

Torres ended the campaign in better form, scoring at Barcelona to help Chelsea reach the Champions League final and winning the golden boot at this summer’s European championship.

The former Atlético Madrid captain, who has already netted three goals in four games so far this term, admits his move from Liverpool proved more challenging than he had anticipated.

But he remains intent on repaying Chelsea’s faith in him and insists he did not feel any additional burden as a result of his hefty transfer fee.

“The money never was a problem,” Torres said. “The money Chelsea paid for me was never something I was worried about or made me play badly – it’s nothing about that.

“It was a difficult change for me, from Liverpool to Chelsea; the adaptation took more time than it should [have] but all these things are part of the past now.

“All these things make you stronger and a better player and person. I’ve been in situations that I’ve never been before and that can help me a lot for the present and the future.”

Torres’ Chelsea future was briefly cast into doubt following the Champions League final after he was quoted as saying he needed assurances from the club about his future role at Stamford Bridge.

But Torres insists he has no regrets about last season and is purely focused on the future.

“I’d change nothing if I could go back,” he continued. “I’d change nothing that happened to me last season. It taught me a lot of things.

“Right now I exactly know my position in this club, what I have to do, and I learned a lot of things last season, both good and bad. I’m a better player, a better person and I’m stronger than ever.”

Torres added: “I have never said anything bad about Chelsea. I never could because I know they made a big effort to buy me and I have still four more years [of my] contract.

“I have a lot of things to do at this club. In these four years I want to win everything I haven’t won.

“I never wanted to give up – and I never did.”

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Read more on: Champions League, Chelsea, Fernando Torres, Liverpool, Premier League.