MADRID, July 3 - Fernando Torres is used to carrying the weight of expectation on his young shoulders.

Almost as soon as he made his debut for Atletico Madrid at 17, the skinny, freckle-faced striker was seen as the saviour of a club engulfed in the biggest crisis in their history.

With Atletico mired in the second division after dropping out of the top flight for the first time in 66 years, "El Nino" (The Kid) was given his chance at the end of the 2000-01 season with the aim of raising their fans' hopes.

Within minutes of taking the field for his second senior appearance, he had forced two Albacete players into fouls that led to their dismissals and then coolly headed the winner.

"When Torres scored all I could do was to thank God," said the then-Atletico president Jesus Gil.

"The boy is a real star and he is going to go a long way in Spanish football."

The club's sporting director Paulo Futre added that we were "witnessing the emergence of a real phenomenon".

A decade earlier Atletico had let Raul slip through their hands and join arch-rivals Real Madrid but this time they were determined to safeguard their treasure.

Dedicated Atletico fans were already well acquainted with Torres, who scored 55 goals in one season in the youth ranks and led Spain to victories at the Under-16 and Under-19 European Championships.

GOLDEN BOY

Torres scored 13 goals in his first season in the Primera Liga in 2002-03 and assumed the club captaincy at 19. An international debut followed and he was soon seen as the heir to Raul's crown as the national team's golden boy.

His frequent changes of hairstyle and a host of high-profile advertising contracts made him the nearest thing to a Spanish David Beckham but there have been doubts whether Torres's football skills fully match the hype.

He has certainly scored some great goals, including a Johan Cruyff-style flying volley against Real Betis in 2003 and a stunning effort against Ukraine at the World Cup. Yet he has also had some worryingly barren spells and often fails to convert seemingly simple one-on-one chances.

Some observers believe that flying the Atletico nest will give Torres the freedom to fully blossom, yet others suggest he will struggle with the rough and tumble of the Premier League.

Now bearing the label of Spain's and Liverpool's most expensive ever player, "El Nino" will certainly be under pressure to show he has come of age.