Liverpool fans will always hold Rafa Benitez in high regard for the success he enjoyed at the club.

The Spaniard spent six years at the club and won four trophies, including the 2005 Champions League where Liverpool pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history against AC Milan.

But for all his success, he never won what Liverpool fans crave the most: the Premier League title.

His side came close in the 2008/2009 season, where the Reds would eventually finish with 86 points; four points behind winners and arch rivals Manchester United.

That was the closest Benitez would come to lifting the Premier League title.

The year after that near-miss, Liverpool suffered a massive decline in form and Benitez could only lead his side to a poor 7th place finish.

As a result, he lost his job.

But seven years on from leaving Liverpool, Benitez has claimed he did not win the Premier League as he did not have the spending power to match his rivals.

Benitez said "Unfortunately that board didn't have the money to compete against the top sides and had to sell. The new owners ran it more as a business than a football club.'

"When I arrived at Liverpool the budget was £20m gross. When I left, it was £17m, but people still said I must win the title.

"Manchester United had around £50m more every year and then came Chelsea so you were up against massive clubs with massive amounts of money.'

Regardless of whether Benitez felt he did not have enough money to spend or not, it could be argued his side still had the quality needed to be Premier League Champions.

His 2008/2009 squad featured a number of impressive names. In Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard, Liverpool had a midfield at their disposal that could be regarded as one of the best midfield trio's in the Premier League era.

And of course up front, Liverpool had a Fernando Torres at his brilliant best.

But Benitez still fell short. How did he not win the league with that team!?