Danny Murphy says Jose Mourinho at Liverpool could have been good for his career.
Danny Murphy
Danny Murphy has been quoted in The Mirror he believes Jose Mourinho was being lined up for the Liverpool job in 2004 before the club decided to appoint Rafa Benitez instead.
One season later Benitez led Liverpool to win the Champions League – a trophy Mourinho won with Porto a year earlier.
Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho at 2005 league cup final
Mourinho took the Chelsea job, with his side losing the 2005 semi-final to Liverpool courtesy of Luis Garcia’s famous ‘ghost goal’.
So while it all worked out perfectly for Liverpool, Murphy admits he has a bit of regret that Mourinho did not get the job, because he believes the current Manchester United manager would have been good for his career.
Making the comments to TalkSPORT, Murphy said: “Liverpool basically went with Benitez because he’d just won the Spanish league title and UEFA Cup with Valencia and they thought that was more solid an appointment than someone who had only done it in Portugal.
“I know Mourinho was massively disappointed. I’m gutted too, because Benitez came in and didn’t want me. I’m just gutted it wasn’t Mourinho because he might have wanted me to stay!”
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez
Murphy was sold by Benitez the same summer the Spaniard arrived, with the Spaniard having his own ideas about how to take the club forward.
He was sold to Charlton Athletic, where he spent two seasons before signing with Tottenham Hotspur, before spells with Fulham and then Blackburn Rovers.
Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez and Steven Gerrard celebrate winning the Champions League with the Trophy
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