Twitter reacts as Fernando Torres announces his retirement from professional football

Former Liverpool and Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres announced his retirement from professional football earlier today.

The 35-year-old enjoyed an 18-year stint in the game, having played for European giants such as AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and Liverpool before moving to Sagan Tosu, a team in Japan's J1 League.

Having begun his career at Atletico Madrid, the striker shot to super-stardom at Liverpool, where he enjoyed his finest form, scoring 81 goals in 142 games.

2011 saw the Spaniard make a switch to Chelsea for a then-record fee of £50 million. Although many believe he failed to justify the price tag, he played a pivotal role in the Blues' journey to the Champions League title in 2012. The striker also lifted the FA Cup and the Europa League with the London outfit.

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After tallying 45 goals in 172 games for the Blues, Torres made his way to Milan in 2014. After enduring a tough time in Italy, Torres returned to his boyhood club Atletico in 2015 where he won his second Europa League title before moving to Japan.

Internationally, the former Liverpool striker boasts of being Spain's third highest goal-scorer with 38 goals to his name. He helped his home country to the 2008 European Championship and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with his exploits.

Torres made the announcement in a Twitter post and revealed that he would disclose the details of his retirement in a press conference scheduled to be held in Tokyo on June 23. The post read, "I have something very important to announce. After 18 exciting years, the time has come to put an end to my football career. Next Sunday, the 23rd at 10:00 AM, local time in Japan, I will have a press conference in Tokyo to explain all the details. See you there."

Football fans have since taken to Twitter to send their wishes to the legendary player: