Benitez may be spooked by ex-Liverpool stars Crouch and Keane

LONDON - Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez has been warned that Tottenham players Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch will seek to increase his misery tonight when the two sides clash at Anfield.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is set to start at least one of his two former Liverpool strikers at Anfield tonight.

The Sun quoted Redknapp, as saying: “In a way they’ve got something to prove. Robbie and Crouchie going back to Liverpool, it’s interesting. I’m pleased to have them here instead of facing them.”

Benitez’s job is hanging by a thread after falling out of the title race and suffering early exits from both the Champions League and FA Cup.

Defeat against Tottenham would be the 13th for the Spanish boss this season and, worse still, it would leave Liverpool seven points behind their top-four rivals.

Keane, in particular, will be desperate to show Benitez what he is missing after the way his dream move to Liverpool last season was ruined.

The Irish striker, 29, joined for a massive 20-million-pounds fee in the summer of 2008, but was substituted in most games and ultimately dropped before being sold back to Spurs for an 8-million-pound loss.

It was considered one of Benitez’s biggest blunders and left Keane bewildered.

England striker Crouch, 28, was also not given a fair crack by Benitez, despite scoring 40 goals in a total of 142 appearances.

He eventually joined Redknapp for nine million pounds. (ANI)