Happy birthday, Fernando Torres.

It's crazy to think that the evergreen Spaniard is now 37 years old and there's no denying that the beautiful game is a much sadder place for his retirement in 2019.

Besides, I'm not sure you can genuinely call yourself a football fan if you don't love Torres in turn because he's one of those rare players who seems to be adored by supporters for every club.

Torres' enduring legacy

And while, yes, that has a lot to do with Torres' entertaining brand of football at his pomp, we're inclined to think that it's humility and adversity through struggles that endeared him to so many.

As such, it should come as no surprise that so many of Torres' former teammates speak highly of 'El Nino', both in terms of his footballing ability and his character in the dressing room.

Besides, there aren't many footballers who could still be adored by Liverpool fans despite waving goodbye to the club with a £50 million move to Chelsea in the middle of a season.

Torres' decorated career

And the love is most certainly mutual with Torres never being afraid to compliment the players who contributed to the success of his iconic career across spells with Atletico Madrid, Spain and more.

However, even the polite and diplomatic Torres isn't afraid to admit that certain former teammates were more talented than others and he has very clear opinions on who were the best of the best.

We say that because Torres fascinatingly revealed his greatest XI of teammates during an interview with his beloved Liverpool in 2020.

Torres' ultimate teammate XI

And as Torres blows out 37 candles on his birthday cake today, which might well be made of kale and quinoa based on his recent physique, we couldn't help revisiting his blockbuster line-up.

Besides, you know that Torres played with some incredible footballers when the likes of Iker Casillas, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Sergio Aguero weren't able to make the cut.

So, without further ado, check out the man himself talking through his stunning XI of World Cup winners and Premier League champions down below:

Wowsers... would that XI even lose a game... like, ever?

Torres' long line of brilliant teammates

It's easy to forget just how many world-class players that Torres called his teammate, particularly during Spain's dominance of international football between 2008 and 2012.

In spite of Torres' tough transition from Anfield to Stamford Bridge, he still held his own against Spain stars who were flying high with Barcelona and Real Madrid, winning the Golden Boot at Euro 2012.

As such, seeing as Torres picked himself in the starting XI, you could bet that he wouldn't look out of place alongside the likes of David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Steven Gerrard.

And while we were all lucky to see those partnerships blossom at certain stages of Torres' career, one can't help imagining just how incredible it would be to see them all sharing the same teamsheet.

Besides, for my money, they'd romp their way to Champions League and World Cup glory if they were all playing in their prime. Oh, wait a second, Torres has achieved that already... class.