Torres as good as Van Basten - Kuyt
by Ben Blackmore, 18 August 2008
Dirk Kuyt believes Fernando Torres is every bit as a good as Dutch legend Marco Van Basten, and he predicts Torres will beat Cristiano Ronaldo to the Player of the Season award this year.
Torres and Van Basten already have something pretty unique in common after the Spaniard matched the master’s feat of scoring in a European Championships final.
Liverpool’s number nine then picked up from where he left off against Sunderland on Saturday, smashing a blinding winner just when The Reds needed it most.
Torres was outscored by Ronaldo last season, but Kuyt believes his team-mate is now ready to prove he is the best player in The Premier League.
"Can he get the title for Liverpool as Ronaldo did last season? Why not?" Kuyt told the official Liverpool website.
"Of course they are different players, Ronaldo comes in from the side but Fernando is a real striker, he has everything to be the best player this season.
"There was nothing on when he got the ball but he scores a few goals like that. He is always looking for the target and as soon as he gets space to shoot he shoots and often scores.
"He is a megastar now.
"Fernando played wonderfully at the Euros and always when you need him he scores very important goals.
"He is a top quality player and for me he is the best striker in the world. If you are speaking about a real striker, he is the pinnacle, he is everything, not only in normal games but more often than not in special games.
"As a Dutchman I grew up watching Van Basten and Gullit and they were the best players and he is as good as them."