Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has hailed his backroom team for convincing him to sign Javier Mascherano last year.

He told liverpoolfc.tv: "Again I mention our scout department, because when he was at West Ham everyone was saying 'forget it' because he was struggling in the Premier League. We had confidence because we knew him even when he was in the reserves at River Plate.

"I tried to sign him for Valencia when he first played for the national team. I knew he was a good player and the scout department were also pushing me. The key was whether he could do well in England, but his character is really good. He's very competitive and he's showed now he is a really good player."