Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has paid tribute to Dirk Kuyt who he has claimed is an integral part of his team.
The Dutchman is often criticised for his lack of goals, however he has been finding the back of the net in recent games, much to his manager's delight.
His last minute winner against Manchester City sealed an impressive comeback for the Reds and he also opened the scoring against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Yet speaking to Liverpoolfc.tv, the Reds manager explained he was a vital part of the team and how impressed he was by the hard work he put in.
“His teamwork is amazing,” said the Spaniard, “When you talk about a team, that's the most important thing.”
Kuyt’s goal against City was his first in the league since last November and Benitez admitted it was an important goal, not just for the team, but for the player too.
“He was scoring goals in the Champions League and now he's scored in the league. I think it was important for him and in the end it was important for us too,” admitted the Liverpool boss, “Everyone, especially all his teammates, will be really pleased for him because it is amazing how he works every day, every training session and every game.”
Whilst Kuyt was initially signed as a striker, Benitez has employed the Dutchman in a deeper role and he admitted it was a position he performed well. The Spaniard explained: “If you have players with offensive mentality, you need players who can do the ugly jobs. You need to work hard in defence. As a striker, Kuyt is doing his defensive work very well and also scoring important goals.”
Benitez also admitted that whilst Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard usually stole the headlines, Kuyt’s hard work was just as important. He concluded: “Players like Kuyt are key. You can use the quality of people like Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard, but you always need players working really hard.”
The Dutchman is often criticised for his lack of goals, however he has been finding the back of the net in recent games, much to his manager's delight.
His last minute winner against Manchester City sealed an impressive comeback for the Reds and he also opened the scoring against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Yet speaking to Liverpoolfc.tv, the Reds manager explained he was a vital part of the team and how impressed he was by the hard work he put in.
“His teamwork is amazing,” said the Spaniard, “When you talk about a team, that's the most important thing.”
Kuyt’s goal against City was his first in the league since last November and Benitez admitted it was an important goal, not just for the team, but for the player too.
“He was scoring goals in the Champions League and now he's scored in the league. I think it was important for him and in the end it was important for us too,” admitted the Liverpool boss, “Everyone, especially all his teammates, will be really pleased for him because it is amazing how he works every day, every training session and every game.”
Whilst Kuyt was initially signed as a striker, Benitez has employed the Dutchman in a deeper role and he admitted it was a position he performed well. The Spaniard explained: “If you have players with offensive mentality, you need players who can do the ugly jobs. You need to work hard in defence. As a striker, Kuyt is doing his defensive work very well and also scoring important goals.”
Benitez also admitted that whilst Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard usually stole the headlines, Kuyt’s hard work was just as important. He concluded: “Players like Kuyt are key. You can use the quality of people like Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard, but you always need players working really hard.”
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