Liverpool 'keeper Jose Reina is Premier League's best, says Rafael Benitez

06 March 2010 08:37
The 27-year Spain international has committed to a new deal to ward off interest from a number of Europe's top clubs. [LNB]Reina has been Liverpool's player of the season and, with 12 clean sheets, is in the running for the league's Golden Glove award with injured Chelsea rival Petr Cech. [LNB] Related ArticlesBenítez seeks happy endingWigan v LiverpoolKjaer keen on Liverpool moveMascherano to seek Liverpool assurancesAllardyce refutes Benitez jibesLiverpool to offer Mascherano new deal"We are really pleased because I remember at the beginning people said 'for England, in the air, he is not the best'," said Benitez. [LNB]"He is the best in England, miles away from the others, and we are really pleased to keep him here for a long time. [LNB]"He is always organising the defenders and is more than a keeper. [LNB]"Sometimes the style of goalkeepers is for them to be really good in the six-yard box, Pepe is really good in the 18-yard box." [LNB]Benitez said Reina's performance in last Sunday's 2-1 victory over Blackburn, when he made a brilliant stoppage-time save from Chris Samba's goalbound header, illustrated his class. [LNB]"When you talk about a goalkeeper in a top side he normally doesn't have much to do," he added. [LNB]"To be involved in this game especially at the end and the save shows the level of the player." [LNB]

Source: Telegraph