Fernando Torres has admitted that he lost some of his love for football last season.

The 28-year-old struggled for from in a Chelsea shirt last season, which culminated in him being dropped for Spain's friendly against Venezuela earlier this year.

Reflecting on the previous 12 months, Torres revealed that he took his place in the Spanish squad for granted.

"Del Bosque phoned me before dropping me for the Venezuela friendly and I fully understood. I had lost some of my love for being at work," he said.

"I had stopped setting an example to younger players, which is something I was taught to do at Atletico Madrid.

"Being picked for Spain had become a habit. Now it is a prize again."

The striker returned to form with two goals for the national side against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday evening.