LIVERPOOL striker Fernando Torres is delighted to be back in the Spain squad after his lengthy lay-off through a knee injury.

LIVERPOOL striker Fernando Torres is delighted to be back in the Spain squad after his lengthy lay-off through a knee injury.

Reds boss Rafael Benitez is concerned the Spaniard will push himself too hard too soon but Torres insists he needs as much playing time as possible to get back to full match sharpness.

“Rafa has enough to deal with with what he's got,” he said.

“It's normal that he's thinking about his interests but he knows that all the players want to go to the national team.

“For us it is an honour to be here, to play as much as possible and to return as fit as possible to our teams.

“Luckily I recovered in time. To be in the national squad is a prize for me.

“I have the good fortune that the coach called me up after playing just two games since I recovered.”