Benitez is my 'father' – Christian Atsu

Christian Atsu has found the start of the 2018/19 season difficult after being relegated to the bench in majority of Newcastle United’s games but the Ghanaian winger is still enjoying the support of manager Rafa Benitez who he calls a “father”.

The former FC Porto player also struggled in Ghana’s defeat against Kenya last month.

“The surgery I had has affected me in several ways,” Atsu told Hello FM.

“This is my third season with Newcastle United. My first season was when I joined them on loan from Chelsea in the Championship and had enough playing time. Eventually, we qualified back to the Premier League.”

“In the second season, I played a lot of games but things have changed this time around because of the surgery I underwent before the World Cup. It has really affected my play because I’ve been a little slow but I’m working hard to hit top form soon,” he said.

“Rafael Benitez understands my situation and he is trying his best for me. In fact, he has in a way adopted me as his son and I regard him as my father too,” he added.

Michael Essien calls Jose Mourinho his “father” after building a strong working relationship with Jose who always refers to the Ghanaian midfielder as his “son”.

The only issue? Mourinho and Benitez are strong enemies.