Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has revealed that his "up and down" relationship with former manager Rafael Benitez was one of the reasons why he thought about leaving the club.

The England skipper announced back in 2005 that he was going to leave his boyhood club after rejecting a new contract following the Reds' Champions League final victory in Istanbul.

However, within 24 hours, the midfielder, who is celebrating 15 years since making his Liverpool debut today, made a U-turn and has been at Anfield ever since.

Speaking on BT Sport's The Clare Balding Show, Gerrard said: "It did turn my head, because big things were happening at Chelsea, they were spending huge amounts of money and at Liverpool at the time we were struggling and my relationship with Benitez was a bit up and down."

The 33-year-old is expected to start in Sunday's Premier League clash against Hull City.