Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has named Steven Gerrard as the best player he has ever coached.

Benitez managed Liverpool from 2004 to 2010, leading them to Champions League and FA Cup triumphs. While his managerial career also saw him win trophies with Valencia, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, and Newcastle United, Gerrard remained the standout player of his tenure.

Earlier this year, Gerrard was voted Liverpool's greatest ever player in a poll involving fans, former Reds players, and journalists. In the newly released book "Liverpool's Greatest Ever: A Tribute to 100 Red Stars," Benitez explained what made Gerrard so exceptional.

Benitez said: "When I was at Real Madrid, they asked me who was the best player I had coached, and I said Steven Gerrard. I explained why. When we arrived at Liverpool, he was a box-to-box midfielder, full of energy and potential. Tactically, we were trying to help him understand his role.

"I don't think he realised it then, but later he understood what we wanted from him. He had power, he was good in the air, he could shoot with both his right and left foot, he could pass and he could control the ball. So he was a complete player, but he just needed to understand the game and the pace of play better.

"I remember one game against Everton when I told him: 'Listen, just calm down.' He kicked off and went straight to the corner to tackle someone! I said: 'What are you doing?!' The fans were cheering. This kind of thing kept happening, and he received a red card.

"These were things he was learning. At first, that was the only thing he lacked, because he had all the energy and potential.

"Then little by little, especially after we signed Fernando Torres, things changed. Gerrard's touch was excellent, precise and powerful, and with Torres making runs upfront, it was very difficult for opposition defenders to stop him.

"He was playing as a number 10 then. He didn't like the position at first, but with Torres in front, he played quite well because he could make runs into the box to score goals and also pass the ball to Fernando.

"And with Mascherano, Lucas Leiva, and Xabi Alonso in midfield, we had very good balance."

Under Benitez, Gerrard, as the team's linchpin and captain, helped Liverpool famously win the Champions League in 2005. A year later, he scored twice in the FA Cup final, including a last-minute equalizer from 35 yards, to help Liverpool defeat West Ham United in a penalty shootout.

By the time he ended his 17-year first-team career at Liverpool in 2015, Gerrard had made 710 appearances, scored 186 goals, and won eight major trophies.

Benitez continued: "He did almost everything well, and he had endurance and commitment. He wasn't particularly talkative; Carragher was always the one constantly talking. But he was a leader by example. I think he was a very crucial player for Liverpool. Both on and off the pitch, he was very professional and expected all players to give their all.

"That's why, in my opinion, he is the best player I have ever coached. I have managed Eto'o, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Benzema, but he was more complete than all of them."

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