Benitez hails vital Kuyt role
12 Oct 2008 - 10:03:50
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has paid tribute to the selflessness of Dirk Kuyt after describing the striker's team-work as "amazing".
The Netherlands forward has found the net on fewer occasions during two seasons with the Reds than strike partner Fernando Torres managed in his debut campaign last year.
But Benitez believes his hard-work and willingness to become involved in the "ugly jobs" make him stand out from the crowd.
"His team-work is amazing," the Spaniard told the club's official website
"When you talk about a team, that's the most important thing.
"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.
"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."