Was surprised and shocked that Rafael Benitez wanted to have Everton job, admits Steven Gerrard

Rafael Benitez was appointed as the Everton boss the previous summer as he succeeded Carlo Ancelotti who went on to take the hot seat at Real Madrid. The Spaniard's appointment came with fierce opposition from Everton supporters due to his past as Liverpool manager. However, he slowly won over a few fans after the Toffees' bright start to the campaign as they endured only one loss in their opening seven games of the season. 

It did not go according to plan after that as Everton are now languishing near the relegation spots and are very much engaged in a spot to beat the drop at the end of the season. The Merseyside club had won just once since September and the 2-1 defeat to Norwich earlier this week forced the board to pull the trigger on Benitez's reign. Villa manager Gerrard, who played under the Spaniard at Liverpool, expressed his shock at Benitez taking charge of Everton at the start of the season.

"I'm disappointed for Rafa because obviously I've got a relationship and I've got an awful lot of respect for him. I have to be honest, I thought it was a unique appointment at the time. I was surprised and shocked that Rafa wanted to go and have a go at that job. With his legacy and his relationship with Liverpool, that was a surprise. Obviously it hasn't worked out for whatever reasons. You'd have to be inside the club to know why, which is none of my business," Gerrard told Sky Sports.