Tall guy reaching new heights in Bilbao

Once dismissed as just a target man, the lanky Fernando Llorente told uefa.com he is now enjoying "the best spell" of his career at Athletic Club Bilbao as his side meet Real Sporting de Gijón in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg tonight.

Different dimension
Crucial goals in Liga wins against Club Atlético de Madrid and Valencia CF in recent weeks highlight how far Llorente has come in the past two seasons. His 1.93m frame had led successive Athletic coaches to dismiss the 23-year-old as nothing more than a target man to be thrown on in the dying minutes of games. With the arrival of Joaquín Caparrós in 2007, however, that began to change. "Up until that point I'd never had a decent run in the team," Llorente told uefa.com. "Past managers wouldn't take a gamble on me until Caparrós came. He has brought the best out in me, he understands me and gives me confidence and he pushes me when I need to be pushed. I'm happy with that and you can see the results; I'm going through the best spell of my career."

Team effort
With nine league goals in the opening half of the season Llorente has made his finest start to a Liga campaign since making his debut for Athletic just over four years ago. His ability to hold up the ball and to score with either foot as well as with his head has earned him many admirers, not least the supporters of a team that has been plumbing Liga's depths in the past few years. "It's been difficult for us in recent seasons and I was immersed in unhappiness because of it," Llorente admitted. "Now I can contribute to the team and that's a source of joy for me." After a dismal start to the season, Llorente's goals have helped Joaquín Caparrós's side amass 17 points in an undefeated seven-game spell, lifting the team into ninth place.

Senior debut
Llorente initially rose to prominence at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup when – helped by four goals in a single game against Chile – he finished as runner-up to Argentina's Lionel Messi as the tournament's top scorer. Last November the Pamplona-born player was reacquainted with the Chileans in a friendly as he made his senior Spanish debut. "That was a dream I wasn't expecting to realise at that moment, especially as Athletic were going through a difficult period," the striker explained. "Your entire career leads up to a moment like that so along with nerves came happiness and a feeling of a job well done," he added.

More to come
As well as ensuring he "continues to improve game by game," Llorente has no doubt about his future ambitions: "That's obvious," he said. "To compete in the Champions League is something that every player wants. I'd also love to play in a World Cup; that would be incredible."