Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that he expected Fernando Torres to become an integral part of his plans this season, thanks to a strong character reference from Alvaro Arbeloa.
Torres became firm friends with Arbeloa during their time at Liverpool, before both players left for Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively.
The Spanish striker showed signs of a return to form in last week's 2-1 win over Manchester United but Mourinho has insisted that he anticipated a revival earlier this summer, after speaking at length with Arbeloa about the forward.
He told The Guardian: "[Torres] is close to one of my players at Madrid, Alvaro Arbeloa. During the holidays Arbeloa was always telling me that [Torres] is a fantastic professional.
"He told me: 'You will be able to get the best out of him because you have some common principles: team ethic and work.' Arbeloa knows him very well from Liverpool and the national team. He said: 'You will have a good surprise with the person and his principles.'
"He has made himself better, the same way he was being criticised for so long, now you must give him the credit for doing things by himself."
The 29-year-old has scored three goals in his last two matches, including a brace against Schalke in the Champions League.
Liam Power
