Rafael Benitez have signed a new deal with Liverpool to keep him at Anfield till 2014.

The former Valencia boss, who led the Reds to Champions League glory in 2005, has been in contract talks with the club for much of the season. He told the club’s website: “My heart is with Liverpool Football Club, so I’m delighted to sign this new deal. “I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club like this and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying.

“I always made clear I wanted to be here for a long time and when I complete my new contract it will mean I have spent over a decade in Liverpool.

“The club is greatly respected around the world due to its incredible history and tremendous heritage. It is my aim to uphold those values and help create a new chapter in our history.

“Throughout this process, I would like to thank the owners for their hard work in finalising the deal. All of us at the club want the same thing, which is to be successful by winning major trophies.”

Joint-owner Tom Hicks said: “It is wonderful news that Rafa has made a long-term commitment to the club. Since he became manager in 2004, he has been responsible for the great progress we have made.

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Robbie Keane have hinted that he would have enjoyed a fruitful career at Liverpool had there been a different manager. Rafa Benitez brought Keane to Anfield last summer but the Republic of Ireland international was given few opportunities to impress.

He was not a regular starter and was surprisingly left on the substitutes’ bench at times when he appeared to be a good option for the Reds. Keane, who secured a swift move back to Tottenham in the winter transfer window, insists he made the right decision to join Liverpool. But he admits he was perhaps not suited to working with Benitez, and has hinted that he would have liked to be treated with more respect.

“Of course I wish it had gone differently, but I have no regrets,” Keane told Icon magazine.

“I do believe with a different manager it would have worked for me, but different managers have different methods and some have different ideas than those you are used to or believe in.

“People have their own opinions of Benitez. I have nothing against him and will leave people to make their own minds up about him.

“When you’ve been around for a while as a player, all you want is a bit of respect and to be treated the way you feel you deserve to be.”

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Rafa Benitez have admitted that Liverpool‘s title hopes will depend on the next two games’ outcome after Dirk Kuyt’s equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw against Manchester City. Failure to claim all three points against Mark Hughes’s team on Sunday has left Liverpool seven points adrift of reigning champions Manchester United, who host Benitez’s team at Old Trafford on March 14.

But despite this latest setback in Liverpool’s bid to end their nineteen-year title drought, manager Benitez insisted they still live in hope of overhauling Sir Alex Ferguson‘s European champions.

“It is clearly more difficult for us now. We have to win against Middlesbrough and Sunderland if we are to win the trophy,” Benitez said.

“This is a bad result because we could have done better with our first-half chances. I have confidence that we can still do it, though.

“We just need to win against Middlesbrough and Sunderland.

“It is not easy to say that United will slip up, but there are still 12 games left to play, so it is not finished yet. It is clear that we will have to go to Old Trafford and beat them, though.

“United can clearly win games with their quality, but if they lose, we have to win and be there to take advantage.”

Liverpool must now put domestic issues to one side as they prepare for Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 first-leg clash against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu.

And Benitez admitted that there is still doubt as to whether captain Steven Gerrard will recover from a three-week hamstring lay-off in time to face the nine-time European champions.

“We will see about Gerrard on Monday. He has to train and we will then chat with him and the doctor,” Benitez said. “He is improving, but it is not easy to say.”

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