Career in Pictures: Rafa Benitez’s spell as Liverpool manager

May is here and we still don’t know who will lift this season’s Premier League title as Manchester City and Liverpool battle it out to be crowned champions of England.

The Reds have been going toe-to-toe with the defending champions all season in one of the most thrilling campaigns we’ve ever known.

Jurgen Klopp’s side sit on 91 points but still find themselves a point behind Pep Guardiola’s City with two games left to play.

Whether or not the Merseyside outfit win their first Premier League title later this month, the German boss has firmly endeared himself to the Anfield faithful since taking in 2015.

Another manager to be held in high regard by Liverpool fans is former chief Rafa Benitez, who could put a huge dent in his former club’s title dreams this weekend when the Reds travel to Newcastle United.

The popular Spaniard, who has once again secured the Magpies’ top-flight status, was in the hotseat at Anfield for six years between 2004-10 and his teams produced some memorable moments.

Ahead of Saturday night’s big clash at St James’ Park, where Newcastle have won six of their last seven Premier League matches, we take a look back at Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool career in pictures.

Keeping Gerrard

After upsetting the odds to win La Liga and the UEFA Cup in 2004 with his Valencia side, Benitez agreed to move to Liverpool and, in doing so, became the first Spaniard to manage in the Premier League.

The first, and maybe biggest thing he did while at the club, was to persuade captain Steven Gerrard to stay and not move to Chelsea.

Gerrard became the heartbeat of the side in Rafa’s years in charge and it’s doubtful the success the club achieved would’ve happened if their local hero had moved to West London.

Spanish Armada

As well as convincing Stevie G to stay on Merseyside, Rafa is also remembered for bringing a contingent of fellow Spaniards to the club.

In his first summer he signed the brilliant Xabi Alonso and talented Luis Garcia, before later brining in the likes of Fernando Torres, Fernando Morientes, Antonio Nunez and Pepe Reina to Anfield.

I’ll let you decide which of these were hits and which were flops.

That Night in Istanbul

Undisputedly Rafa’s finest moment as Liverpool boss was guiding them to an incredible Champions League victory in Istanbul.

With the Reds 3-0 down to a star-studded AC Milan at half-time, not even the most die-hard Scouser gave them a hope of coming back.

But goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso resulted in the unthinkable as the Reds went on to lift their fifth European crown after a victorious penalty shootout.

Milan did get their own back two years later when they defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the 2007 final but nobody really remembers that.

Gerrard’s Hammer blow

After defeating rivals Manchester United and Chelsea on their way to the final, Liverpool were the overwhelming favourites against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

However, with seconds left on the clock, Rafa’s men found themselves 3-2 down until Steven Gerrard stepped up to score on of the greatest FA Cup final goals.

Following extra-time, the Reds won 3-1 on penalties to bank their Spanish boss another trophy and the club’s seventh victory in the competition.

So close, yet so far

Before this season, Liverpool haven’t really been serious contenders for the Premir League title on too many occasions.

They came oh so close in 2014 but were beaten to it by Man City following Gerrard’s slip against Chelsea and implosion at Crystal Palace.

The closest they came before that was in the 2008/09 season when they finished just four points behind Manchester United.

Rafa had his side playing some great football that season – notably beating Real Madrid 4-0 at Anfield in the Champions League and Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford – as Gerrard and Torres caused havoc.