Gerrard on former coach Benitez: He didn't like me as a person

Steven Gerrard and former boss Rafa Benitez were like "fire and ice," the long-time Liverpool talisman revealed in his autobiography detailing the cold relationship between the two during their days at the Merseyside club.

Now playing with the LA Galaxy, Gerrard enjoyed some of his best years under Benitez, who coached Liverpool from 2004 to 2010. They won the Champions League in 2005, beating AC Milan on penalties after an unbelievable second-half comeback.

Despite making history together, their relationship was strained, with Gerrard describing in his book - as serialised in the Daily Mail - there's "no bond" between them.

"I can pick up the phone and speak to all of my previous Liverpool managers. Except for Rafa," Gerrard wrote. "It's a shame because we probably shared the biggest night of both our careers - the 2005 Champions League victory in Istanbul - and yet there is no bond between us."

The 35-year-old midfielder wrote that he made improvements as a player under Benitez, whose "frostiness drove (him) to become a better player."

Gerrard added, "I had a hunger to earn a compliment from him - but also a hunger to let him know he really needed me as a player. We were like fire and ice. Passion surged inside me, while Rafa was the strategic thinker."

But Gerrard didn't like the way Benitez engaged the media and fought with other managers - particularly Sir Alex Ferguson - and the owners.

"Rafa broke the focus of the team," Gerrard wrote. "We got asked about it all the time in the media: 'What's all that about? Why has he done that?' We never found out because Rafa didn't say a word to us. I think he felt awkward because he knew it backfired."

Benitez won the Super Cup in 2005 as well as the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2006.