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Steven Gerrard takes swipe at Rafa Benitez insisting he'd "never manage a rival"
Steven Gerrard has taken Rafa Benitez to task over the Spaniard’s decision to take up the job at Everton last summer.The Liverpool legend admits he was “shocked” by the news that his former boss agreed to become Toffees boss given his ties to their biggest rivals Liverpool.Benitez’s appointment at the Toffees’ was only the second-ever time a manager has coached both sides of Merseyside, the first being William Edward Barclay who died in 1917.Naturally, Benitez’s appointment was a controversial one, with Everton fans tearing their hair out that a Reds cult hero was in the dugout for them.And Gerrard, who heads to Goodison Park with Aston Villa in the lunchtime kickoff on Saturday, resonated with the outrage.The Villa boss said: “Jobs can go right or wrong for whatever reason, that’s none of my business.“But the biggest shock and surprise for me was Rafa taking the job in the first place.“It would never enter my head to manage a rival that I’ve competed against for over two decades. That doesn’t make sense.“Rivalries are there for a reason and from my point of view, everyone is entitled to make their own decisions.