News'Eto'o, Ronaldo, Benzema... Steven Gerrard was the best player I ever coached'
Rafael Benitez has plenty of options to choose from when asked, ‘Who is the best player you ever coached?’
Many of those candidates he crossed paths with at Liverpool during a six-year spell in charge at Anfield from 2004 to 2010 that included glory in the Champions League and FA Cup.
The Spaniard has been much-travelled during his managerial career, though, also winning trophies with Valencia, Internazionale, Chelsea, Napoli and Newcastle United.
But through it all, a Scouse tour de force remains the finest Benitez ever worked with.
That is, of course, Steven Gerrard, who was voted as Liverpool’s Greatest earlier this year after a massive club poll of fans, former Reds and journalists.
In a newly released book, Liverpool’s Greatest: A Celebration of 100 Reds Stars, Benitez offers his insight on exactly what made the talismanic midfielder quite so brilliant.
“When I was in Real Madrid, they were asking me who is the best player I have coached, and I said Steven Gerrard,” states Benitez.
“And I explained why. When we came to Liverpool, he was a box-to-box midfielder. The power, the potential. Then, tactically, we were trying to manage.
“I think he didn’t realise at this time, [it was] later on he realised what we were looking for. He has the power, he was good in the air, he could shoot with the right foot and the left foot, and he could pass, he could control the ball. So, he was a complete player that needed to understand a little bit more the game, the tempo of the game.
“I remember one game we played against Everton, I said, ‘Listen, calm down.’ At the kick-off, he went to tackle someone in the corner! I said, ‘What?!’ and the fans were [cheering]. This kind of thing… later on he has a red card.
“These kinds of things he was learning. That was the only thing he was missing at the beginning because he has all the energy, all the potential.
“Later on, little by little, and especially when we signed [Fernando] Torres – because Stevie has a very good touch, it’s precise and with power – and with Torres running, it was very difficult for the defenders to stop him.
“He was playing as a No.10. He didn’t like it at the beginning but after, with Torres up front, he was quite good because he could get into the box and score goals, and at the same time he could pass the ball to Fernando.
“And with [Javier] Mascherano, Lucas [Leiva], [Xabi] Alonso in the middle, we had a very good balance.”
With Gerrard the heartbeat and captain of the side, Liverpool achieved a miraculous Champions League triumph under Benitez in 2005.
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Watch on YouTubeA year later, he was the hero with two goals – including a last-minute equaliser from 35 yards out – as West Ham United were beaten on penalties in the FA Cup final.
By the time his senior Reds career concluded after 17 years in 2015, Gerrard had racked up 710 appearances and 186 goals alongside eight major honours.
“He was very good doing almost everything. He has also stamina, he has commitment,” continues Benitez.
“He’s not very vocal; Carra [Jamie Carragher] was the one that was always talking. But he was a leader by example. So then, I think he was great in terms of a key player for Liverpool and the way that he was conducting himself on the pitch and outside the pitch, he was professional and he liked all the players to give everything.
“That is the reason why for me, he was the best player I have been coaching. I had [Samuel] Eto’o, Cristiano [Ronaldo], [Karim] Benzema – but he was more complete than all of them.”