Lucas Leiva has insisted that he will always be grateful to Rafael Benitez for helping him settle at Liverpool, ahead of his side’s Premier League meeting with Newcastle United later in the day.
Benitez, who took over the managerial reins at Newcastle in March, signed Lucas from Gremio in 2007 whilst he was in charge of the Merseyside giants.
The Brazilian initially struggled to make his mark at Anfield, but with Benitez’s guidance he soon became a crucial player for Liverpool.
And Lucas believes Benitez’s patient approach with him was crucial to salvaging his Liverpool career as he feels no other manager would have spent so much time on him.
“I remember talking to him on the phone. He called me a couple of times and called my father a few times”, he told the club’s official site.
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“I was only 20 at that time so it was a very special period before I signed with Liverpool. I had some very difficult moments at the beginning here, and he really supported me.
“He never gave up and was always very keen to show me what I needed to improve and the way I should do it.
“I will always be grateful because I think if it was another manager or a manager that was not so patient, I probably wouldn’t be here now. It was very important for me.”
Lucas, whose present contract with Liverpool runs until the summer of 2017, has thus far amassed 309 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, scoring six times and providing 18 assists.
The defensive midfielder also has 22 caps for Brazil to his name.
