20 years on from one of the blackest days in English football history, Liverpool’s current manager Rafael Benitez joined a host of past and present Anfield heroes in adding his own thoughts on the Hillsborough disaster of April 15^th 1989.

 

"It's important, not just for the players at my club, but everyone in football to remember," said Benitez of the events that led to the death‘s of 96 Liverpool fans. "I was in Spain at the time and I didn't realise how serious the actual situation was - I then heard the news and soon realised. Since I've been at Liverpool I've learned a lot more.”

Central defender Janie Carragher also said that remembering the tragedy is vital. "It's essential that we don't forget Hillsborough," he said "it changed the face of football. I hope it will never happen again."

Steven Gerrard’s declaration of fitness 24 hours before the keenly awaited second leg against Chelsea in the Champions League is a massive boost to Benitez as his side seek to overturn last week’s disastrous home leg. The talismanic midfielder will need to show similar qualities to that of the 2005 final if the Reds are to seek to honour the Hillsborough victims in similar vein to the Munich remembrance last season by their fiercest rivals from Manchester.