 TOM HICKS believes there is no chance of Rafael Benitez leaving Liverpool in the near future – because the Spaniard’s wife Montse loves life on Merseyside. Hicks and fellow American businessman George Gillett moved to dispel any lingering uncertainty over Benitez’s role at Anfield following their takeover of the club. Real Madrid had sought to take advantage of the situation at Liverpool by shortlisting the Spaniard as a possible replacement for under-pressure coach Fabio Capello. But having been given assurances over financial backing in the transfer market this summer, Benitez has since reaffirmed his commitment to Liverpool. And as he hailed the Spaniard’s contribution, Hicks gave an insight into how settled Benitez and his family are in England. “Rafa’s a fresh thinker,” said the American. “He’s not afraid to try things new and I think that’s probably good in the UK. He’s a smart guy, a great tactician. I like what we hear about his plans. “He’s not going anywhere. He’s under contract and he told me his wife has said that if he ever did go, he’d have to go without her because she’s staying in Liverpool! He’s staying in Liverpool too, he’s the man we want.” Benitez met with the club’s new American owners the day after Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Arsenal on March 31. And Hicks said: “It was about budgets, his philosophy, specifics, revising how we can improve the development process, all those things. “It was a five-hour meeting and an introduction into his way of thinking and all the programmes we can improve upon. He’s a very thoughtful, smart guy. “I think although these sports are all different, in so many ways they have some similarities. One is if you want to sustain excellence over a long period of time you have to develop good young players who you can mix in with the transfer of star players. “But you’ve got to have the foundation of your own young players. That’s true with the [Texas] Rangers, the [Dallas] Stars, the [Montreal] Canadiens and it’s true with Liverpool.” | 
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