LIVERPOOL - Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has ended months of speculation by signing a contract extension that will keep him at Anfield until 2014, the English Premier League club confirmed on Wednesday.
The Spaniard, whose current deal ran until the end of next season, told Liverpool's official website: 'My heart is with Liverpool Football Club, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal.
'I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club like this and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying. I always made clear I wanted to be here for a long time and when I complete my new contract it will mean I have spent over a decade in Liverpool.'
The former Valencia manager had been unhappy with what what he perceived as a lack of control over transfer policy, a situation not helped by the ongoing feud between Liverpool's American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
Benitez had rejected five offers of a new contract but the announcement last month that Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry will leave at the end of the season was seen as a sign that the manager would stay with the Merseysiders.
Benitez, who fell out with Parry over the latter's failure to close several transfer deals, added Wednesday: 'The club is greatly respected around the world due to its incredible history and tremendous heritage. It is my aim to uphold those values and help create a new chapter in our history.
'Throughout this process, I would like to thank the owners for their hard work in finalising the deal. All of us at the club want the same thing, which is to be successful by winning major trophies.' The news that Benitez was staying on at Liverpool came just the week after the team enjoyed two of their most impressive results of recent times.
They overwhelmed Spanish giants Real Madrid to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League and then won 4-1 away to Premier League leaders and reigning champions Manchester United to inject fresh life into a title race that threatened to become a procession for Liverpool's arch-rivals. -- AFP
