Everton great Southall rejects ex-Liverpool boss Benitez as next manager | OneFootball

Everton great Neville Southall is dead against the appointment of Rafa Benitez as new manager.

The Spaniard won the Champions League and FA Cup with Liverpool, whom he left in 2010 and has since managed Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid, Newcastle and, most recently, Dalian Professional.

He has, somewhat controversially, moved into pole position ahead of former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo to fill the role, following Carlo Ancelotti's return to Real Madrid earlier this month.

"I think Rafa Benitez is a good manager, but is he right for Everton? No. Not a chance! He's Liverpool, the fans won't have it," he told talkSPORT.

"If he comes into that ground, he's going to have to produce something special, and at the moment with the squad we've got he's going to do well to do something special there, because it's a work in progress.

"So, for me, I would rather have Duncan Ferguson (the former Everton striker and Ancelotti's assistant manager).

"We're never going to get relegated and he's a good manager, I think he's far underrated than anyone else.

"He started before Carlo Ancelotti and put us on a good run, he's knowledgeable in everything he does, he knows the club inside-out, he knows all the younger players, so why not give him a season's contract?

"We're not going to be in any worse position at the end of next season than we are now.

"But Benitez? No. A good manager in his own right, but too many connections with Liverpool."