Rafa: Reina has improved

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has praised Pepe Reina for his improvement in the last two seasons, and particularly since his high profile blunder in the Merseyside derby against Everton last season.

Benitez said on the club’s official website: "Pepe will remember this mistake as important, so for him it was a test and he showed that he can come through difficult situations and be really good.”

"He has a lot of character. One of the keys to being a top professional and a top-class player is to be able to show character in difficult situations.”

"If you are always playing well and without difficulties you cannot test the character of the player.”

"Pepe made some mistakes but after this he showed quality and character.”

"Also, you can see when he has been under pressure in finals and other big games that he is a player with a very good mentality."

The manager went on to say that he always knew that Reina would be one of the top keepers in the world and he wanted to sign him in 2001 but things didn’t materialise.

"The first time I saw him play he was still at Barcelona and I was manager of Tenerife," recalled the former Valencia boss.

"We were looking for a new keeper and we were playing a tournament in Lanzarote which Barcelona were also involved in. On this occasion Pepe was going through his warm-up with Victor Valdes and I was stood behind him watching.

"It was clear just from watching him in a warm-up that he was a very good keeper and although I did not manage to sign him for Tenerife I did sign him for Liverpool a few years later."