Manchester City star Ferran Torres has admitted he was ‘shocked’ when he came up against three central defenders against Sheffield United.
Torres joined City in a £20.7m deal from Valencia in the summer transfer window and has made a flying start to life at the Etihad, with four goals and two assists in ten games so far this season.
A major part of his impressive start, which has been earning positive reviews back in Spain, has been his ability to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League, something players arriving from Europe often struggle with.
Torres, though, admits he has struggled with it after being kicked around by more than one opponent.
“In the first games I took some terrible blows,” El Pais reported him saying.
“You have to be smart and try to go as little as possible to the shock because the central defenders are very strong.
“You have to be quick and throw those deflections because that also messes up the central defenders. I was shocked when we played against Sheffield.
“They put up a defence of three very guerrilla-like centre-backs. That’s when you realise what the Premiership is like.”
Injury problems at Manchester City have seen Torres taking up a new role with the club, with Pep Guardiola electing to use him as a false nine in the absence of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.
This represents a complete change for the youngster, who has spent the majority of his short career so far playing on the wings.
It’s an experiment that’s worked so far, with Torres managing two goals in three appearances in the position, although he admits Guardiola is pushing him to the limit.
“With the injuries of Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, the coach raised it to me, he told me that he saw me there,” he added.
“Guardiola insists on everything; it is very different from how I had been playing at Valencia.
“He has tested me on the left and on the front, he is helping me to be able to play in all attack positions.”
