Torres predicts a Spain-England final

(GSM) – Liverpool striker Fernando Torres believes that England have what it takes to be a finalist at the World Cup if they can get over their traditional mental meltdown at the quarter-final stage.

The former Atletico Madrid player hailed fellow Reds team-mate Steven Gerrard as “the greatest central midfielder on the planet” in his appraisal of England’s individual qualities.

Torres, who transferred from Madrid to Liverpool in 2008, agrees with the bookmakers that England should be one of the main rivals to Spain at the World Cup in South Africa based on the way their team lines up on paper.

Unlike many of his international team-mates, the Spain striker is in a position to judge England’s quality up close in his role as one of the Premier League’s leading players.

But unlike many observers, who place Brazil alongside Spain with England leading the other contenders, Torres feels England are in the top two and a final between Spain and England would be the fixture befitting football’s showpiece match.

“If England can overcome their mental barrier then Spain versus England would be the perfect World Cup final,” Torres told the Daily Express.

“People say that Spain have the best starting XI in the world but when you look at England on paper, they have the second strongest XI in the world.

“In John Terry and Rio Ferdinand they have two of the best defenders. Stevie Gerrard is the greatest central midfielder on the planet and Wayne Rooney is one of the in-form players in football along with Lionel Messi. It’s hard to see a weakness in the England team. All they need to do now is break the mental barrier that going out at the quarter-final stage creates.”