‘I can’t say’ - Ex-Liverpool and Everton boss Rafael Benitez makes honest Merseyside derby admission

Former Liverpool and Everton manager Rafael Benitez has refused to place his loyalties ahead of the Merseyside derby in the Premier League.

Benitez stands as only one of two managers to have taken charge of both Liverpool clubs - William Edward Barclay is the other, back in the late 1800s.

Both roles were completely contrasting for the Spanish manager. His six-year spell at Anfield brought European success and title challenges, while his six-month role at Everton is viewed as a failure and poor appointment as he was never going to be accepted by the fans.

Ahead of the derby, Benitez spoke about his split loyalties and refused to choose a side.

“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,” Benitez wrote in the foreword to Crossing the Park: The Men Who Dared to Play for Both Liverpool and Everton, a forthcoming book by Peter Kenny Jones.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

Benitez managed Liverpool from 2004 until 2010, winning 197 of his 350 games in charge. Under his tenure they won the Champions League, Community Shield, Super Cup and FA Cup. His time at Everton was incredibly short, as the Spaniard oversaw just 22 games in charge, winning just seven, as he was sacked six months into the role.