The Spain international has taken the Barclays Premier League by storm, scoring 32 goals in all-competitions ahead of Sunday's final match of the season at Spurs.
And the Reds boss admits he has been pleasantly surprised to see his record signing match Ruud van Nistelrooy's 23-goal record for most goals by a foreign player in a debut Premier League campaign.
"We analysed the age, condition, quality and mentality of the player before he arrived, so we knew he was a good player," says the Anfield manager. "That is why we signed him.
"But to score more than 30 goals in a first season is a fantastic achievement. It's a surprise for everyone, not because we didn't have confidence in him, but because it's his first year in the Premier League."
If Torres is to break Van Nistelrooy's league record he will have to find the net in Sunday's showdown away to Juande Ramos' Carling Cup winners.
It is something he has managed on just occasions on the road, with 21 of his 23 league efforts coming at Anfield, but Benitez has complete faith in his number nine and points to significant strikes in some of Europe's most famous venues as proof Torres can produce the goods in any arena.
"I don't know why so many of his league goals have come at Anfield," he said.
"For me, it's a surprise because I'd have thought he'd score more goals away because of his pace and he'd get more space and it’d be easier for him.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence. But the motivation at Anfield is fantastic because of our supporters.
"He's scored at Stamford Bridge and the San Siro in the Champions League, so he has shown he can score anywhere."
As the Reds' campaign comes to a climax in London tomorrow, Benitez has already begun preparations for next season, having already identified the type of player he wants to bring in to bolster his squad.
He believes signing players for key positions will be the most prudent way to approach this summer's market and is confident the current members of his squad will have learnt from the pressure situations they have faced both on and off the field this season.
"We need players who are hungry, people who want to win trophies," he said.
"We are only interested in signing the players that we need. For example if we need a right-back, we'll try and sign one. Why do we need to sign the best striker in the world, when we have one of the best here already? We just need to do the right things in the right moment."
He added: "This season we could see the reaction of everyone under pressure," he says. "That was important information for the future. We saw how people reacted during a difficult time." |
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