Fernando Torres' burning affection for Liverpool is still red hot but it seems that the striker is somewhat frosty about Chelsea, the club he controversially quit Anfield for back in 2011.
Having announced his retirement from football last week, the 35-year-old has been reflecting on his career and while he still recounts his time with the Reds with great warmth, along with most of the other clubs he played for, the same cannot be said for the Londoners.
Torres was a Kop Idol over his three-and-a-half years on Merseyside, breaking Manchester United man Ruud van Nistelrooy's 23-goal record for a foreign player in his first season in the Premier League, bagging 24 in the top flight and 33 in all competitions during his inaugural campaign on these shores.
When he defected to Stamford Bridge in a £50million there was plenty of bad blood from Liverpool supporters, particularly given the modern day rivalry that had built up between the teams over the previous decade and a refusal to accept the assertion that Chelsea was now a bigger club.
Torres went on to play 172 games for Chelsea – 30 more than he did for Liverpool – but his strike rate was much-reduced from 81 to 45 and looking back he seems to be far more passionate about the Reds.
He told AS – via Sport Witness – that Liverpool was “a dramatic step” for him and that his time at Anfield was “a feeling I do not want to lose nor forget.”
AC Milan, for whom Torres played just 10 times, are mentioned as being “a great club” while his final team, Sagan Tosu in Japan have been an “amazing experience.”
Chelsea meanwhile, are merely referred to his cold, business-like terms.
Torres describes them as the club that “gave me what I always longed for, the titles.”
While the initial pain of Torres' departure seems to have faded and many would now welcome him back if he ever wants to watch a game from the Kop in a red and white scarf – he was given a warm reception when playing for the Steven Gerrard XI in an all-star charity in 2015 – the chances of seeing him waving a plastic Chelsea flag at Stamford Bridge would appear rather slimmer.
