He brought more success to Anfield than most. Guiding the Reds to Champions League and FA Cup glory earned Rafa Benitez his place in Liverpool history and no matter his subsequent career choices, that is where he will stay.
Appointed in the summer of 2004 as Gerard Houllier’s replacement, success was instant and stunning for Benitez. His first season ended in that Istanbul comeback and his second culminated in that FA Cup triumph.
Another Champions League final followed in 2007 but three years later it all came to an end for the Spaniard, sacked by the club in the summer of 2010 after a disappointing 0-0 draw with Hull City rounded off his final campaign. But where are the players who started that match now?
GK: Pepe Reina
Reina left Liverpool with 396 appearances to name and the fourth-most Premier League caps of any Spaniard.
Now in his fifth decade, Reina is not officially retired but his courting of far-right political parties and appearance as a giant penguin on the Spanish version of The Masked Singer point towards somebody winding down.
But he’s still turning out for Villarreal so good on him.
RB: Daniel Agger
The tattooed titan became a Liverpool icon during his eight years with the club.
As well as helping to run a sewage company alongside his brother, uncle and best friend, Agger has also delved into the world of football management after retirement, taking over at HB Koge in the Danish second tier in March 2021.
He was even registered as a player last August, hinting at a possible return to the pitch, which unfortunately hasn’t come to fruition.
CB: Jamie Carragher
Carragher has followed his 17-year spell at Liverpool by arguing with Gary Neville every Monday night. And he’s absolutely brilliant at it, to be fair.
🗣 “He said Man United were going to win the league before Liverpool, top pundit”@Carra23 on Gary Neville’s prediction 🤣 pic.twitter.com/qd3XZVDgRo
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 25, 2020
CB: Sotiris Kyrgiakos
Kyrgiakos’s first season on the red half of Merseyside coincided with Rafa’s last.
The Greek defender’s time can be summed up by wild inconsistency. One colossal defensive effort would be followed by a hideous tackle – see the six-month injury inflicted on Marouane Fellaini in February 2010.
He retired in 2014 after his final spell with Sydney Olympic and keeps a low profile these days although his Instagram shows a bloke soaking up his retirement in Greece and just having a great…
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