JOHN Gibbons and Andy Heaton travelled to Spain’s Orange Blossom Coast for an exclusive Anfield Wrap interview with former Liverpool No.2 and now Valencia manager, Pako Ayestaran.

Pako – assistant to Rafa Benitez from 2004 to 2007 – tells the lads in a 26-minute chat at Valencia’s training ground why it was an easy decision to follow Benitez to Anfield after growing up idolising Liverpool legend Ian Rush.

He lifts the lid on how Valencia’s impressive performances versus the Reds in the 2002 Champions League group stage ensured buy-in from senior players when the new management team first got to work at Melwood following the departure of Gerard Houllier.

Pako also gets into the psychology of the training ground. He prefers players to question methods – and reveals the Liverpool player who always did – while he also talks about what he regards as professionalism among players.

John and Andy also quiz Pako on his sudden Liverpool departure in 2007 – the end of an 11-year working relationship with Benitez – while the Spaniard tells how he fell in love with the city of Liverpool after just 10 days.

This TAW Player special is for TAW Player subscribers. Listen to a free clip of the interview below. A subscription to TAW Player costs just £5 per month (minimum sign up one month). It gives subscribers access to more than 40 new shows a month on Liverpool past and present, including week-day news round-ups, post-match reaction, detailed reviews of every Liverpool game, in-depth analysis of past Liverpool seasons and players and special interviews like this one.

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To listen to a free three minute clip of the interview click play below

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