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• Dutchman saddened by Rafael Benítez’s Anfield departure
• Everyone wants to keep Stevie at the club, he says

Dirk Kuyt has expressed his disappointment at Rafael Benítez’s departure from Liverpool and hopes the Spaniard will not be followed out of Anfield by the captain, Steven Gerrard.

Benítez left Liverpool this month and has since taken over at Internazionale, bringing an end to a six-year tenure at Anfield which included the highlight of winning the Champions League in 2005.

Kuyt was signed by Benítez from Dutch side Feyenoord a year later and the 29-year-old admitted he would be forever thankful to the Spaniard for giving him his chance in English football. “I was sad to see Rafa go. He was the manager who brought me over to Liverpool and I think he is a great manager,” said Kuyt.

“He was very important for Liverpool. He won the Champions League and did wonderful things for the club. I would just like to thank Rafa for bringing me to Liverpool and making me the player I am now.”

Following Benítez’s departure there have been fears on Merseyside that Gerrard could follow him out of the club, with the new Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, reportedly keen on luring a player he almost signed while he was with Chelsea.

That would be a major blow to Liverpool’s hopes next season in the eyes of Kuyt, after they could only manage a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season. “I wouldn’t like to see Stevie G go. Everyone wants to keep Stevie at the club,” Kuyt said. “He is the captain of the team, he’s very important and his heart is bleeding Liverpool.

“So it must be a very good offer or a very good club if he wants to leave. But I don’t know what will happen. It’s just up to him and the club. I have spoken to Stevie while I have been here. We wished each other all the best before the games started but we just talked about football and not his future.”

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