'Liverpool boss is the sole reason I left the club - he made my life a misery'

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Yossi Benayoun once admitted Rafa Benitez was the reason behind his Liverpool departure. The former Israel international joined the Reds in the summer of 2007 while Benitez was at the helm at Anfield.

He reportedly went back on a deal to remain at West Ham to push through the transfer, arriving alongside the likes of Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel. Benayoun swiftly made his mark by netting 11 goals during his debut campaign for Liverpool, though 21 of his appearances that term came off the bench.

Yet his time on Merseyside ended on a sour note after just three seasons with the club. The 45-year-old, who hung up his boots in 2019, attributes this to Benitez's notoriously cold personality and managerial style.

Benayoun moved to rivals Chelsea in 2010, giving an interview that same summer where he criticised Benitez and claimed the manager never showed him the respect he believed he warranted.

Benitez had actually left the club one month before Benayoun's own exit but the Spaniard's alleged treatment of him meant he had already decided to quit Anfield.

Benayoun said: "Everyone asks me why I left Liverpool. There is only one reason – Rafa Benítez. If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit.

"When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game. On two occasions early last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed. They thought I was playing well but Benítez told me he was surprised the fans booed because I was not good enough.

He then delivered a damning assessment of Benitez, claiming the Spanish boss deliberately tried to shatter his confidence. Benayoun added: "He tried to destroy my confidence. You can't treat a player like this and expect him to be happy."

Benayoun revealed he had been miserable but remained silent out of loyalty to the club. He added that the squad and staff at Anfield were aware of how he felt.

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He continued: "I don't want to speak on behalf of other players at Liverpool but people know what happened to Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso. It was the same for me. Benítez tried to break me like he broke Riera."

The winger described how, prior to the last match in his final season, Benitez approached him during training and said: "You will not be in the squad for this game. Thank you for your three years of service, now you can call your agent to do a deal with another club."

"That's when Chelsea made an offer," said Benayoun. "And the deal was done before Benítez left."

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Benayoun ended his Anfield career with 29 goals across 134 matches in an exciting yet ultimately frustrating period in the Reds’ history, where they failed to win a trophy.

His move to Stamford Bridge was a failure and loan moves to Arsenal and West Ham followed before his permanent transfer to Queens Park Rangers midway through the 2013/14 season.

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