Rooney should follow Raul's lead, says Benitez

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney would be wise to use Spain striker Raul as a role model, says Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.

Rooney was sent off against Villarreal in the Champions League in midweek after sarcastically applauding referee Kim Milton Nielsen's decision to book him for a foul.

Benitez worked with Raul as a youth coach at Real Madrid and has seen the forward develop into a respected international.

"The difference between players is not always the quality but their mentality," Benitez told reporters on Friday.

"Raul was with me when he was 16 years old. I remember Raul working really hard in training sessions and working really hard in the games."

"And he had a lot of control in terms of pressure, like talking to newspapers and the media," added Benitez. "Rooney is no different to Raul in the amount of pressure he faces."

"When you are talking about good players, they are always in the spotlight."

Benitez has to make plans to stop Rooney when Liverpool play Manchester United on Sunday in the Premier League.

He believes the game will show how far his side have improved since last season when United won both meetings.

"If you can beat Manchester United, you can beat anyone," said the Liverpool manager. "That means you can think about being in the top three."

If United lose they may have contributed to their own downfall after inviting Benitez over to observe the team training when he was a little known coach in Spain.

"I went to Manchester United for one week to watch them train," Benitez added. "Sir Alex had some problems with Roy Keane about his contract so Steve McClaren was taking training."

McClaren was then United's assistant manager but has since taken over the reigns at Middlesbrough.

"I saw Sir Alex once to say hello," recalled Benitez. "But it was okay as I learned a lot about new systems."

"I remember they had fantastic players. They played nine against nine on a half pitch and the tempo was amazing."