Source: Daily_Mail
Manolo Brinas, the man who discovered Fernando Torres
Manolo Brinas 75, is unlikely to forget the day he oversaw the club trials for Atletico Madrid at Parque de las Cruces, a collection of gravel football pitches in the southern suburbs of Spain's capital city. [LNB]It is for moments such as these that the likes of Brinas, a former school teacher, commit the best years of his life. Brinas's Atletico School of Football had been running since the 1970s and became so successful at unearthing talent that Atletico Madrid built upon its original unofficial links and turned it into its school of excellence. [LNB] Star pupil: Torres has remained in touch with Manolo[LNB]Yet, nothing had quite prepared Brinas for the lanky, freckled, blond-haired 10-year-old who turned up among 200 hopefuls that day in 1995. [LNB]Victor Peligros, who was working for Brinas as one of Atletico's assessors, was also taken with the blond-haired striker. He asked Brinas how he should mark the boy. 'I told him: "Give him ten out of ten!'' said Brinas, before pausing. 'In fact I said: "Give him ten out of ten and add two to that. Give him 12 out of ten".' [LNB]Early promise: Torres in action as a a youth player[LNB]Never before or since has a boy broken the parameters of Atletico's marking scheme since Fernando Torresmade the short trip from his home in the working class suburb of Fuenlabrada, the last outpost of Madrid before the city gives way to a dusty plateau and the main road to Toledo. [LNB]'What we noticed about him was his fantastic change of pace,' said Brinas. 'He could just accelerate away from defenders. He was doing the same things he does now at that young age. Sometimes he will score a goal now and it makes me think of a carbon copy goal he scored as a youngster with us.'[LNB]Naturally, with a talent so rare there was a certain nervousness, not least when he emerged as the player of the tournament at the Nike Under 15 Cup, a competition for the leading clubs in Europe. [LNB]A scout from Arsenal approached the Torres family but it was a bigger threat, nearer to home, that worried Brinas. [LNB]He said: 'I had to stay close to him. I was practically his shadow whenever we went to any big tournaments as we were afraid Real Madrid would steal him.' [LNB] Guiding hand: Torres remains grateful to those who helped him when starting his career[LNB]Brinas felt there was such a fierce determination about Torres that he would compare him to a player barely reminiscent in style. [LNB]'He is like that player you used to have with the glasses. What was his name? Nobby Stiles? Yes, very correct and proper off the pitch but strong and aggressive on it,' he said. [LNB] 'Fernando sent me the Liverpool shirt which he wore when he scored his first hat-trick for them. It was typical of him to remember me. He wrote on the front: "My friend Manolo - thanks for everything you have given me". [LNB]'It was the message that really got to me. A lot of ex-players give you a signed shirt with the typical "with affection" and then the signature. This was a really heartfelt message and I will not be taking the shirt down.' [LNB] Torres has never forgotten the influence that Brinas had on his career, nor the close-knit circle of friends he gathered around him at his childhood home. [LNB] [LNB] Last week, following his British record ?50million transfer to Chelsea, Torres said: 'It is all these people (like Brinas), the manager when I was a kid, the team-mates when I was akid who are still sending me messages and they are quite happy because they understand it is a good move for me because it's what I wanted. [LNB] [LNB] 'I'm quite happy to stay in contact with themtoday, 20 years after.' [LNB]And Brinas can expect a new addition to his collection soon. 'Of course, all these people have my Atletico shirt, my Liverpool shirt and now they will have my Chelsea shirt.' [LNB] As for Brinas, though, he will not be watching the TV debut of his most famous graduate today. He might be 75 but a youth team coach's work is never complete. His Under-18 team have a match at Salamanca, meaning that Chelsea v Liverpool will be the secondary fixture of the day for him. Torres targets debut goal - but ?50m man won't celebrate against LiverpoolI tried to convince Torres to stay at Anfield, reveals Kenny DalglishAll the latest Chelsea news, features and opinion All the latest Liverpool news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Fernando Torres Places: Madrid, Liverpool, Spain, Europe
