Henchoz still rues Reds exit

Stephane Henchoz admits he still holds regrets over his exit from Liverpool.

The Swiss stopper was deemed surplus to requirements by Rafael Benitez when he took control of The Reds and was never given a chance to prove his worth to the Spaniard.

Indeed, Benitez opted to bring in Mauricio Pellegrino ahead of Henchoz, although the veteran Argentine never really adapted to life in England.

Henchoz, now back in the Premiership with Wigan after a brief spell at Celtic, feels he was unfairly treated by Benitez and was never given any explanation as to why he was ostracised so quickly after five successful seasons at Anfield.

"Just before I left Liverpool last January was when they brought in Pellegrino," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"And maybe, after 10 days training with him, well, that's when I started asking questions.

"I just thought, "Am I so bad that they want me to leave and they want him?"

"I think I was right as well because I saw Pellegrino play for Liverpool and I thought, yes, I could have done the job he did for them, at the very least.

"It was such a bad season for me. I spent six months with Liverpool hardly getting a game.

"I had played for five years at Anfield and then never got a game when Benitez arrived, apart from three in the Carling Cup.

"I was never given a chance and that hurts.

"It was never really explained to me. Admittedly I never really asked the manager, but he never said anything either, never said I wasn't good enough.

"Yet even now they are talking about signing another centre half."