EXCLUSIVE: Ferran Torres on family, childhood idols and World Cup dreams | OneFootball

Scouting the next big talents has almost become an arms race in football, with children as young as five or six years old place into academy life and moulded well into their teens.

Fortunately for Ferran Torres, it was his boyhood club Valencia who spotted him early on and became his home for the next 14 years.

Like charity, success often begins at home, as the Barcelona and Spain winger was keen to stress in an exclusive interview with OneFootball.

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“I was lucky enough to live in a house where we had a small bit of land and a very nice garden with a goal in it.

“That’s where I learnt to play football, especially with my grandfather. He always came to look after the dogs that we had at home and with him, that’s where my love for the ball came from.

“I would even shoot with my dog’s ball – with my dog as the goalkeeper! And honestly, he was sometimes harder to beat my dog than my grandfather.”

And those backyard sessions with abuelo stood him in good stead for school, where his talent was noticed during casual sessions with friends.

“I started playing football at school with my friends, mostly as an extracurricular activity. But I only lasted one year there because I scored many goals, played well and that’s when Valencia approached me.

“And when you’re at Valencia, you start to feel that it’s more than a hobby and you’re actually good at football. You develop this mentality to keep on improving and progressing.

“Until one day, when you’re older because you don’t think about it when you are young, you realise that this can stop being a hobby and become a job whilst dedicating yourself to what you most enjoy.”

But despite making his senior debut five years ago – coming on as a substitute against Real Zaragoza in 2017 — it’s easy to forget how young Ferran still is.

Although that becomes abundantly clear when the 22-year-old reveals his first major footballing memory was the 2010 World Cup, where Spain conquered all at the peak of their powers.

“I think the World Cup in 2010 (South Africa) is the first memory that comes to mind,” he explains. “I remember perfectly where I was.

“I was at a restaurant of a team-mate of mine, Hugo Guillamón, with whom I currently share a dressing room with the Spanish National team. We were very good friends then and we still are.

“And f ***, we ended up watching the final whistle, having suffered with (Iker) Casillas’ save and (Andrés) Iniesta’s goal, and went to a roundabout with a big fountain in the middle of the village.

“We all jumped in. We swam, took our shirts off and it was honestly, a memory and a day I’ll never forget.”

Currently, Spain remain the only team in history to win consecutive European Championships and a World Cup in between, and are one of just three teams to hold World Cup and European Championship titles simultaneously.

“It was the history they made by winning the World Cup and two European Championships,” the Foios-born winger added.

“That’s something that hasn’t been replicated, but also the style of play that they had because at the end of the day, the National team were a side that you enjoyed watching.

“The international break would come and you were desperate to watch them play.”

Finding inspiration in that dominant side was an easy task but Ferran also had great players much closer to home with his beloved Valencia.

Under Unai Emery, Los Che were the closest challengers to Barcelona and Real Madrid, finishing third during the 2009/10 season as they were inspired by one of their greatest ever players, David Villa.

“When I grew up and was in that transition between school and Valencia, the first team had one of the best sides, if not the best side, we’d ever seen.

“That was the era of (David) Villa, (David) Silva, (Juan) Mata, (Rubén) Baraja, (David) Albelda and I was an attacking player at that time. Villa was the most important player for me.

“I also think that part of your competitiveness can be reflected by the players you watch. Wouldn’t you say? Because they are players who hate losing and are always looking to improve.

“And well, for me Villa was always an example to follow and hopefully, I can follow in his footsteps and have a career similar to his.”

When asked what he would do if Spain won the World Cup, the 22-year-old answered “you can’t even imagine what I’m capable of doing,” with a smile.

La Roja will be hoping that imagination becomes reality next month.