Take your game to the next level: Fernando Torres on dribbling

In the final instalment of his skills guide, Fernando Torres turns his attention to running with the ball, the Spanish striker who helped Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League in 2011/12 demonstrating the technique that helped him outwit some of the best defenders of his age.

Now 38, Torres won two EUROs and a FIFA World Cup with Spain between 2008 and 2012, in the midst of a club career in which he played at the top level for Atlético and Liverpool as well as Chelsea. Key to his ability to maraud into opposition penalty areas was his mastery of 'La Croqueta' – the dribbling skill that involves shifting the ball quickly from foot to foot and powering away from opponents at speed.

• Episode 1: Get Torres' advice on movement
• Episode 2: Torres on finishing and penalties

"Normally I would have the ball and the defender would come towards me, and depending on which leg I am on defines which way I go," he explains as he runs some futsal players through the execution of this technique. "If I have the ball on my right leg, I will go the other way. Always anticipate [the defender's] movement and use it. From right to left or left to right, and then forward.

Fernando Torres dribbles past a defender

"Always look at the defender's feet to see which one is in front," he adds.

"It's a move that seems very simple but is rarely used in football," Torres explains with a smile. "I think we all remember my friend [and Spain team-mate] Andrés Iniesta doing it almost every game. It's a very effective way of getting rid of opponents and being able to move forward.

"Forwards can also use it a lot when defenders are going to put pressure on them, and they can get out of that marking and be ready to shoot. It's a very useful action."

Watch the video to take your game to the next level with Fernando Torres