After spells managing on either side of Stanley Park, Rafael Benitez insists “I can’t say I’m more Liverpool or Everton today” but he does not think a subsequent spell at Goodison Park tarnished his reputation at Anfield.
Liverpool host Everton tonight in the 242nd Merseyside Derby and writing the foreword for Peter Kenny Jones’ forthcoming book Crossing the Park: The Men Who Dared to Play for Both Liverpool and Everton, the Spaniard said: “When I first arrived at Anfield I was surprised by the people, they were very friendly, they tried to help with adapting to the new place from day one. Then at Everton, there were a lot of friendly people, but the difference was that some looked at you differently, they couldn’t forget the past with Liverpool.
“I feel at home in Merseyside, my family is completely at home here and that is important. The Liverpool fans are still kind and close today, many of the Everton fans know what actually happened and are, let’s say, friendly.
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“My best moment with Liverpool was the Champions League in 2005, along with many other good memories; the worst moment was the feeling towards the end that something was changing for the worse and that I had to leave. With Everton, the best moment was the 2-1 win in December against Arsenal.
“I’d rather not talk about the bad moments. I don’t think that managing Everton tarnished my reputation at Anfield; the Liverpool fans understood that my family and my home are here and that I hadn’t been managing for a while, so many accepted this.
“At the start many of the Everton fans saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of my experience to reach another level, but others still didn’t see it clearly. I think this has settled a bit now.
“I can’t say I’m more Liverpool or Everton today. Logically, in six years there were a lot of highs at Liverpool, but I still have good friends amongst the Everton fans.”
Crossing the Park: The Men Who Dared to Play for Both Liverpool and Everton is published on April 24 and you can click here to pre-order your copy of from Amazon or here from Peter's website with exclusive pre-order extras available. Peter will officially launch his book at an event at Hotel Anfield on Friday April 28 with Steve McMahon and Kevin Sheedy in attendance along with food and music (click here for event tickets).
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