Everton boss Rafa Benitez says he has more energy now than when he was in charge of Liverpool.
He has won trophies at Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Napoli – despite not always singing from the same song sheet as his employers. His Anfield connections saw him run the fans' gauntlet at Chelsea, despite winning the Europa League.
And his experiences in the boardrooms of Real Madrid and Newcastle have tempered him further.
Benitez said: “If I said I am more energetic now than in 2004, then maybe you will not believe me.
“My last memories of the Premier League are from Newcastle and they are fantastic.
“The relationship with the fans, the staff, the players, everyone who was from there... I was really happy. It was a pity to leave because there was no vision in the ideas.
“But at Everton we want to fight from the first day, trying to improve every single detail.
“It is a mentality. You go there, you want to win. You stay here, you want to win.
“Hopefully, I will retire in 10 years' time, maybe, and will have the same mentality that I have now.
“I might not win every game, but I want to try to win every game.
“Everton is a great chance to create, improve and develop something that is already there – but needs to try to do a little bit better.
“To challenge for the title, to challenge for Europe? You never know."
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