Rafael Benitez has named the one aspect that he believes Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard didn’t understand about ‘the beautiful game’.
Ex-England international Gerrard starred during Benitez’s six year tenure at the club which culminated in that historic Champions League Final victory against AC Milan in 2005.
Gerrard would go on to captain the club up until his shock departure in 2015, proving himself to be one of the most influential players in Liverpool’s long and storied history.
Whilst he was able to drive the club through some memorable moments along the way, Gerrard lacked knowledge on one component in particular in the eyes of his former gaffer Rafa Benitez.
Speaking on The Overlap, Benitez claimed that whilst he believes Gerrard was the best player that he ever coached, he says the former skipper lacked ‘technical knowledge’ in a shock statement.
“Stevie is the best player that I have ever coached. When I was in Madrid I couldn’t say that, but now I can. It’s very clear. He had everything. What he was missing was the tactical knowledge that a foreign player has because they play in this position [central midfield].
He was so good, he had so much energy. He could get in to the box, go as a full-back — do whatever he needed to do — but he needed to understand the position.”
Aside from his success with Liverpool, Gerrard also played a key role for the England national team, although he did receive criticism over the years following the struggles that came with him playing alongside Chelsea great Frank Lampard, who played in the same position as his countryman.
