FERNANDO TORRES' star may be shining bright following a magnificent last 12 months but talk of the Spain ace being the best striker in the world is premature, according to some of the Germany team who faced him - and lost - on Sunday night.
Torres capped a superb first season at club level with Liverpool, where he scored 33 goals in 47 appearances, by earning Spain their first major international trophy since 1964.
He did that by clinically scoring the only goal of the Euro 2008 final against Germany in Vienna in the 33rd minute, having already hit the post with a header.
Torres was a constant threat to the Germany defence before being substituted late in the second half, but his marker Christoph Metzelder was loath to agree with suggestions the Madrid-born 24-year-old was the best marksman on the planet.
"There are many good strikers and I think it's difficult to say who is the best," said Metzelder, who plays alongside the prolific Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raul at club level with Real Madrid.
"He (Torres) is a very good player. He decided this game for Spain. He played very well, he scored this very important goal. I think we nearly got the ball for his goal but he was very clever."
Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who could do little to prevent Torres from scoring, believes the striker still has some way to go to match the level achieved by one of his former Arsenal team-mates.
"You are asking someone who played together with Thierry Henry," said Lehmann when quizzed about whether Torres was at the top of the striking pile.
"You know that he (Henry) was a god in England performancewise, so when you take him and compare him with other strikers, there is still a difference.
"He (Torres) could get there, but it takes a while."
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