Newcastle United players have paid tribute to Rafa Benitez after the club announced he would be leaving at the end of his current deal.
The Spaniard will leave on June 30 after failing to agree a deal with the hierarchy, and now looks set for a job in China.
Many of the players from United's current squad took to social media to pay thanks to the manager who guided the club back to the Premier League before achieving a 10th and 13th place finish.
Captain Jamaal Lascelles thanked Rafa Benitez for the 'trust' he showed in him and said it was an 'honour' to be captain of his side.
Florian Lejeune thanked Benitez for the 'advice' he had given him, and wished him well for the future.
Jamie Sterry was grateful to Benitez for giving him his debut at Newcastle, saying he 'learned a lot' under his management.
Fellow U23 graduate Sean Longstaff echoed a similar message, thanking Benitez for 'opportunity to make my dreams into a reality!'
Ayoze Perez praised Benitez's staff - Paco de Míguel Moreno, Antonio Gómez Pérez and Mikel Antia who will also be leaving on June 30th - labeling them as 'great staff.'
Perez went on to comment that Benitez is a 'top manager' and wished him good luck in his next role.
Isaac Hayden also took to Twitter to ensure that the influence of Benitez on his career 'won't be forgotten', posting: "Thank you for everything over the last three years, you brought me to the club and had the faith in me to develop me as a player and person. It won’t be forgotten. All the best for the future.
You can read the tweets below.
