Robbie Keane has claimed that former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez went back on his word during their time together at Anfield.
The striker joined Liverpool for £19million in 2008, but after struggling to find the sort of form he had shown at Tottenham, he was sold back to his old club just six months later.
The Reds went close to claiming the Premier League title that season, with the belief among the club’s supporters upon Keane’s arrival that he could help them over the line.
But now reflecting on the move, the Irishman feels Benitez was the wrong manager for him at the time and also appeared to question the way he set his teams up.
"Rafa is a top manager and he's proven that. I've certainly never said a bad word about him as a manager, I thought he was top,” Keane told The Football Show on Sky Sports.
"I think he was the wrong manager at the wrong time for me. Before that I played at Tottenham, free-flowing football, different managers. We played attacking football.
"When I went there [ Liverpoo l] I was told myself and Torres [would start] and Stevie would drop into the midfield but obviously as it went on I think Rafa liked Stevie playing that no.10.
"Stevie was unbelievable playing that 10. He was different class, the amount of goals and assists that he got. I certainly had no complaints about that.
"I'm not one of these players that likes to sit around on the bench and just pick my money up. All I ever wanted to do is just to play football."
