(Goal) - The midfielder has been handed the captain's armband as the Reds underline their desire to keep him.As Javier Mascherano replaced Jamie Carragher in the second half of the friendly against Thailand, he took over the captain's armband, leading Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez to claim that this shows the club desperately wants the anchoring midfielder to stay.
Throughout the summer the Argentinian midfielder has been linked with a move to European champions Barcelona, but Benitez remains defiant.
"More or less it's the same situation. He knows our ideas, he worked hard in Thailand and he had the armband, so he knows he is important to the club," Benitez said to ESPN.
The Liverpool boss also claimed that a lot of the rumors linking his charge with a move away from Anfield were created by the media.
"You have to know that nowadays, there are too many media people who have to complete their work everyday. So sometimes you read news that is 15 days ago," he explained.
Liverpool have yet to record a victory in their three pre-season friendlies, which were against against St. Gallen, Rapid Vienna and Thailand.
