“I can say it now”: I coached Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard, but nobody was better than Steven Gerrard

Rafael Benitez has revealed that Steven Gerrard is the best player he has ever coached.

The veteran football manager has been in charge of several European giants during his career, including LiverpoolReal Madrid and Chelsea.

Managing a top-flight club means managing the best talents in the sport and, for the Spaniard, that included such well-known names as Cristiano RonaldoFrank Lampard and Gerrard.

Benitez joined forces with former Manchester United defender Gary Neville The overlap to discuss his coaching career, and admitted that the former Liverpool captain was the one who stood out above all the stars he managed.

Asked by Neville if he did not trust Gerrard as a midfield two in his Liverpool teams, Benitez said: “It's not about trust.

“Stevie is the best player I have ever coached.”

Benitez smiled, apparently referring to Ronaldo: “Because when I was in Madrid I couldn't say that!

“But now I can say it. It's very clear.

“I had it all.”

And despite playing him on the right rather than in his usual midfield role, Benitez had high praise for the Liverpool legend.

“What was missing was the tactical knowledge that a foreign player has because he plays in this position,” added Benitez.

“He was so good, he had so much energy that he could get into the box, play as a full-back, do whatever he wanted, but he needed to understand the position.”

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Benítez was in charge of Anfield from 2004 to 2010, winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.

And Gerrard was a key part of those trophy-winning teams.

Benitez then moved on to Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid (where he managed Ronaldo), Newcastle, Dalian, Everton and, most recently, Celta Vigo.

He was sacked in March and his last game in charge was a 4-0 defeat to Real Madrid.