Arbeloa v Alonso: Benitez on his former players turned managers

It is not just Alonso and Arbeloa who are among Benitez's former Liverpool players to have moved into management.

He reels off more than 20 names who have become coaches or managers, a list including Wales boss Craig Bellamy. He also points out that Djimi Traore is now an assistant coach at Seattle Sounders.

"I sent him to the shower at half-time in the Champions League final [in 2005]," he recalled of the defender, who was expecting to be substituted after a poor first-half before an injury to Steve Finnan saw him reinstated for Liverpool's historic second-half comeback and eventual victory on penalties against AC Milan in 2005.

He added: "They always take something from you. Maybe two or three things they can use [as a coach], and I'm happy with that."

It has been more than 40 years since Benitez began coaching at Real Madrid and, this summer, he finds himself in the unusual position of being without a job.

Now 66, Benitez says he is "waiting for another challenge", adding that his passion for the game is undiminished, as is his desire to "improve teams and players".

He felt he delivered in his most recent role at Panathinaikos, securing the top-four finish he had been tasked with achieving when he took the job in October, but was still sacked in May.

Explaining his continued motivation, Benitez said: "I was a PE teacher before and was trying to improve young people. It was the same as when I had Anthony Gordon at Everton."

The former Newcastle and Chelsea manager remains a Uefa technical observer and speaks about adapting to the modern game, using social media, artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated data as part of his approach.

"I had some offers," Benitez said, having recently been linked with the Scotland job.

"Maybe it is a national team, as a lot of teams will change after the World Cup, but there has to be something where you feel you can achieve something, whether that is promotion, like we had at Newcastle, with amazing fans.

"I know football now is more demanding. You have to be patient because, if not, if you change with the pressure of social media and change every seven months, then you don't have any project. That is the difficult thing."