The 52-year-old is set to leave Chelsea in the summer and is keen to take control of a top team in the future – revealing a potential switch back to the Reds could be possible

Interim Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez believes he will ‘almost certainly’ return to Liverpool in the future.

The 52-year-old took over the managerial reins at Liverpool in 2004 – bringing a host of Spanish stars including Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso to Anfield.

His most notable success during his six seasons at the club was winning the Champions League in the 2004-05 campaign, and he has stated his desire to return.

“I will return, almost certainly,” Benitez told Marca. “What I do not know is when. My daughters and wife still live there.

“My idea is to train a competitive team. Why not in England? We will have to wait and see. Everything will be worked out.”

One of the main criticisms aimed towards Benitez during his spell at Liverpool was the way he handled Alonso – who departed in 2009 to join Real Madrid, but the ex-Inter Milan boss has downplayed talk of a poor relationship between the pair.

He added: “At Liverpool I had to take some decisions and [Alonso] reacted in his own way. Each person has their own way of behaving.

“He is a great player, very important for any team. I cannot say we had a good or bad relationship. It was professional.”

Benitez also spoke about speculation linking him with Real Madrid, should Jose Mourinho leave the Spanish giants.

He added: “Obviously I know the place [Madrid] very well – I was there from 13 years old as a player and coach.

“I am a Madrid fan. It is nice to be linked in one manner or another, but that does not make me lose my current concentration on Chelsea. I have a good relationship with [Madrid president] Florentino Perez. Whenever I have talked with him, he has always been polite.”