Official Site of Liverpool · Apr 6, 2018
'I always loved Liverpool - I will until my last breath'
But for Rafael Benitez’s No.2, even if the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ hadn’t occurred just 344 days later, his arrival on Merseyside held enough significance in its own right.
That is because, as the Spaniard reveals in ‘Back at Melwood… with Pako Ayestaran’, his Anfield appointment was in fact the culmination of a 29-year love affair.
“Arriving to Liverpool was a dream come true because I fell in love already with Liverpool in 1975,” begins his recollection.
“It was a UEFA Cup tie, Liverpool played [against Real Sociedad] in San Sebastian, and I remember I attended that game with my mum.
“Real Sociedad lost 3-1 against that team [with] [Ray] Clemence, Phil Thompson, Kevin Keegan, Steve Heighway.