Atlético striker Fernando Torres finds himself in Milan with the opportunity to win what is most likely a dreamt Trophy for Red-and-whites. Having missed out on Atleti’s 2014 La Liga title win, he has publicly stated that Saturday’s Champions League final against Real Madrid is shaping up to be ”the most special game of my life”.

Torres has consistently proved to be a player capable of rising to the big occasions. His 33rd-minute winning goal against Germany in the Euro 2008 final effectively ushered in the era of Spanish soccer dominance.

Two years later at the World Cup in South Africa, Torres came off the bench in extra time in the final as Spain went on to win 1-0 against the Netherlands. Amazingly, the World Cup 2010 is the only time where Torres hasn’t found the back of the net in a final for Spain, although he did play a part in the run up to Iniesta’s historic strike. At Euro 2012, he scored in yet another final, netting the third goal in Spain’s 4-0 route of Italy and getting the Golden Boot of the Tournament.

Even prior to that famous Titles, Torres had already earned himself a reputation for being a decisive goal scorer for Spain, getting the winner at the Under 16 European Championship final against France in 2001. A year after, he repeated the feat in the final of the Under 19 Euros competition in a 1-0 victory, once again downing Germany in a precursor to what would happen six years later in Austria.

The striker’s ability to pop up at the right time has also been a theme of his club career. During his time at Anfield, he scored in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Chelsea in 2008, although the Reds failed to progress to the final on that occasion. However, after later moving to Chelsea, his wonderful solo goal in the semis of the 2012 edition of the continental competition – in which he rounded Barcelona’s Victor Valdes in a one-on-one to send the Azulgrana packing – would this time send his team through to the tournament’s showpiece, where the Blues would go on to defeat Bayern and pick up the Champions League Trophy.

The following season, Torres made his mark in the latter stages of yet another knock-out competition, this time in Chelsea’s Europa League semi-final tie against Basel– scoring in both of the London club’s victories over two legs – while he got one more in the final against Benfica, where Chelsea ended up as 2-1 winners. It was his last great trophy with Blues before departure on loan to AC Milan where he had a half-a-season spell.

Now Torres is back to San Siro where he played for AC Milan half a season back in 2014. The last time Fernando Torres crossed the touchline at that pitch was in the Milan derby played in November 2014. On Saturday, he returns for the Champions League final, and the chance to realise a boyhood dream against the old enemy.