PREVIEW-Soccer-Spain hope to see the new Torres against Italy

By Simon Baskett

MADRID, March 24 (Reuters) - Spain are hoping to see glimpses of the Fernando Torres that has taken the English Premier League by storm when they meet world champions Italy in Elche on Wednesday (kickoff 2100 GMT).

The 24-year-old has chalked up 27 goals since moving from Atletico Madrid to Liverpool last July but he has yet to show the same effectiveness in front of goal when he dons the red shirt of Spain.

Torres has found the net just twice in the last 18 months for Spain and his total of 15 goals in 46 games is a relatively modest one for an international striker.

However, Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro believes Torres has become a far better player since moving to England.

"Fernando Torres has made an incredible improvement," the Real Madrid defender told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Last year I saw him as a bit of a softie, someone who hid, but then he went to the Premier League, where you can't be a softie, and exploded."

Torres himself admits that he needed to leave Atletico in order to develop as a player.

"I saw that I had done all I could and that things weren't getting any better," he told Spanish television station La Sexta.