Jamie Carragher is confident Liverpool team-mate Fernando Torres will prove he is the best striker in the world with Spain at Euro 2008.

Torres fired 34 goals in all competitions as Liverpool reached the semi-finals of last season’s Uefa Champions League to mark his first campaign in England in style.

And Carragher believes Torres – who swapped Atletico Madrid for Anfield last summer – will continue that form as Spain look to record glory on the international stage for the first time since Euro 64.

"Torres will go there as the best striker in the world and hopefully he will prove that with Spain," Carragher told Liverpool’s official website.

Perform

"If he does it will bode well for us next season. He could be the difference for Spain.

"If you want to go close to winning it you have to have someone who can go close to being leading scorer in the tournament and there’s no question that Torres is capable.

"Spain have got other strikers as well, like David Villa, but they will be looking to Torres to get them five or six goals and if he performs as well as he has done for us then I’m sure he can do that."

Torres netted 24 Premier League goals last season, a feat only surpassed by Manchester United and Portugal star Ronaldo.

Ronaldo rivalry

And Carragher feels the two will renew their goalscoring rivalry in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

"If Spain and Portugal get through the group stages it could come down to Torres and Ronaldo again just like it did in the Premier League," Carragher added.

"And I’m hoping Portugal do go through as well and Ronaldo comes back tired for next season.

"But if they both do well, the top scorer will probably be one of those two and if one of them hits a rich vein of form, it could decide who wins the tournament."