When Mohamed Sissoko signed for Liverpool, the reaction of many fans was one of glee.......... mixed with a small measure of cynicism.
Glee because we'd just snatched him from under the noses of Everton.........But cynicism towards the comparisons made by Benitez to arguably the best defensive midfielder to play in the premiership - Patrick Viera.
To quote Benitez : "No, he is not as good as Viera..... He is better than Viera was at that age"
Usually such bold claims provoke excitement from fans.
Not Liverpool's.
For years under Houllier we had been well and truly trained out of the art of expectation, by a manager who told us every season we'd just signed the new Zidane, Henry, Platini, and Viera.
Unfortunately for us, Cheryou never quite materialsed into the next Zinadine, Cisse didn't quite live up to his "New Henry" billing, Le Tallec's performances almost saw us embroiled in a law suit with platini for slander...... and Diao?.... well......he was black, I'll give Houllier that. But The similarities with Viera started and ended just about there.
Benitez is no Houllier, and whilst he was given the benefit of the doubt about his claims, it was pretty much impossible for Liverpool fans to shake the feeling that our Gaffa was just preparing himself for an almighty Houllier-style belly flop by making public his lofty expectations of the young Malian.
That was before he made his debut......
Sissoko spent his first 90 minutes in a Liverpool jersey single handedly dismantling the entire Middlesbrough midfield.
No sooner had the final whistle blown on the premiership curtain raiser, than all fears of Benitez being another Mystic Houllier, and Sissoko ever being a flop, were well and truly put to bed.
His first season at Anfield saw him earn man of the match award after man of the match award. His energy Boundless, His consistency frightening. To say he was a hit with the fans would be like saying the Beatles went down o.k in the states.
His omission from the young player of the year competition drew gasps of disbelief from Benitez and the Liverpool faithful alike.
Maybe nobody within the FA thought he was eligible, such were the maturity of his displays.
Besides, Liverpool fans have never been ones to take much notice of the same national awards which have failed consistently to award Jamie Carragher with any sort of acclaim over the years, and who's recognition of Steven gerrard as a better player than Fwank - Thuper Goals- Lampard only came after the rest of the world had long since realised.
His signing was hailed as a masterstroke by Benitez. His status amongst the Anfield faithful solidified.
Then came that shocking night in Portugal.
Collapsing under a challenge from a Benfica player in Liverpool's champions league game, Sissoko was stretchered from the field. Reports emanating from the touchline suggested he had a nasty cut round his eye.
As his condition became more and more apparent, the news leaked to the Liverpool fans that Mohamed Sissoko might suffer permanent sight loss in one eye, and never play football again.
The impact this had on Liverpool's fans underlined the esteem in which he was held. The fact Liverpool's loss as a football club was very much secondary was testament to the place in their hearts his gut busting selfless performances had won.
His condition became of paramount importance. Every waking hour was spent trying to find out what the latest news was, with every eye expert's analysis scrutinized to see what the chances of a full recovery where.
What happened next cemented Mohamed's place in Liverpool folklore, and assured him cult hero status amongst the fans.
Staging a recovery on a par with that seen in Istanbul, Sissoko returned to action against Birmingham City in the FA cup just weeks later.
Equipped with a pair of glasses to protect his eye, many fans wondered what psychological impact the injury he had admitted "terrified" him, would have.
Minutes into the game he gave an insight into his character, the like of which no 90 minutes worth of running could provide.
He took the glasses from his head, threw them to the touchline, and proceeded to receive rapturous applause by throwing himself fearlessly into every challenge that presented itself. As if he'd never been away.
Earlier this season he suffered another serious injury. Nowhere near as severe as the one which threatened to partially blind him, and thus end his career, but serious enough to keep him out for months.
His return to the spotlight couldn't have found a bigger stage - Barcelona in the Nou Camp.
The question marks where different this time. Now we were not wondering whether he would be able to play again, or whether he would be suffering psychologically, but whether he could come into such a massive game after such a lengthy lay off, having had just a single warm up against the likes of Nicky Butt and Nobby Solano, and be ready to engage in battle with Ronaldinho, Xavi, Deco, and Messi.
Every time, it seems, such questions are asked of him, he responds in his usual manner - By demonstrating he is the very epitome of the term "enforcer".
Quite what this lad has for breakfast of a morning I don't know. Whether he has mechanically operated body parts is another mystery. But whatever the hell makes him able to come back from a serious injury, a four month lay off, and run a full marathon around the Nou Camp shutting down such a world class midfield, I'm glad he's got it, and I, like every right minded red out there, am incredibly grateful we've got him.
At a club which has produced so many Legends, Mohamed Sissoko is on his way to securing his status amongst them.
If anyone deserves a run without injury it's this lad, yet he picked up another tonight. Hopefully it's not too serious, because his presence is of paramount importance if Liverpool are to progress into the later stages of the Champions league.
In Liverpool's biggest game of the season so far, he was, for me, Man of the Match..
It isn't the first time I've said that, and it won't be the last.
