'I coached Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard but neither compare to Liverpool legend'

But the Spaniard would never put any of them ahead of the one player he has named the best - Steven Gerrard.

While speaking to the former Manchester United star Gary Neville on popular podcast The Overlap, Benitez explained how Gerrard stood head and shoulders above the rest.

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Neville asked Benitez why he could not trust Gerrard in a midfield two, to which the former Reds boss said: “It’s not about trust.

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

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Cheekily implying the fact he coached Ronaldo at the Bernabeu, Benitez added: “Because when I was in Madrid I couldn’t say that!

“But now I can say that. It’s very clear. He had everything.”

Benitez stopped short of calling Gerrard the perfect player, though, and did insist he lacked one asset but went on to give the former England international some high praise.

“What was missing was the tactical knowledge a foreign player has because they play in this position," Benitez added.

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

Benitez is a hero at Liverpool where he coached them from 2004 to 2010, famously winning the Champions League in 2005 in Istanbul against AC Milan.

The Reds mounted an incredible comeback after going 3-0 down at half-time to go on to win the contest on penalties.

Liverpool also played out a classic in the FA Cup final against West Ham where Gerrard scored a trademark howitzer from outside the box to draw the scores 3-3.

Like against Milan, Liverpool won on penalties with Gerrard proving crucial in both trophy successes.

Benitez went on to manage Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, though he did not last long in either role but still managed some of the best around.

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At Chelsea, he won the Europa League in 2013 despite being an unpopular choice with the fans, beating Benfica in the final with a last-gasp winner from Branislav Ivanovic.

It was the third European trophy that Benitez had won, having also won the UEFA Cup with Valencia and Champions League with Liverpool.