YOSSI BENAYOUN on why he is tipping 'surprise' choice Gerrard to replace Klopp

When Yossi Benayoun played his final game of football in 2019, he was serenaded with a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.

His wife Mirit supports Liverpool. So do his children May and Ben, who were regulars at Anfield during his spell at the club.

Benayoun fell in love with Liverpool. He lived and breathed the city.

‘Liverpool was special for me, the best three years of my life,’ the Israeli explains to Mail Sport. ‘I enjoyed it very much, the people are good people. I felt it was the right place for me and my family and as a player.’

One day, he would love to return in his new profession as a sporting director.

There is some way to go before he has a chance of fulfilling that ambition, although his role in helping Israel to within two victories of qualifying for Euro 2024 indicates an aptitude for his post-playing career choice.

So with that in mind, his views on how Liverpool can prevent Jurgen Klopp’s empire from crumbing when he departs at the end of the season carry some gravitas.

Benayoun is convinced the consequences need not be drastic.

He advances two candidates. One not so surprising, the other rather more so — but one that would tug at red heartstrings.

‘For me it has to be someone with an identify to Liverpool,’ the 43-year-old says. ‘If they can bring someone like Xabi [Alonso], or — and this might be a surprise — someone like Steven Gerrard, one of them will continue what Klopp has built because they know the club.

‘Xabi is a good friend of mine and I can see why people are speaking about him as a Liverpool manager.

‘It didn’t work well at Aston Villa for Stevie, but he did a great job in Scotland. He deserves a chance to be coach at Liverpool for what he did in his career.

‘If they bring in the right person,