Pepe Mel has revealed he spoke to Rafael Benitez before agreeing to take over at Premier League side West Brom.
The Guardian has quoted Mel as saying Benitez was the first person he contacted when the chance to become Coach at the Hawthorns arose.
“I spoke with Rafael Benitez, he is a very good friend and was a teammate of mine at Madrid.
“He really did encourage me to come here to England.
“He said to me that West Brom is a club that needs to do a lot of work but still has a lot of possibilities to be successful.
“Rafa has been fortunate enough to work for two massive clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea, and he clearly liked it that much here that his wife and children still live up in Liverpool.”
Mel will take charge of Albion for the first time on Monday evening when Roberto Martinez’s Everton visit the Midlands.
“I'm convinced that things are going to go well here and that things are going to be a success,” Mel added in an interview conducted through a translator.
“West Bromwich Albion have thought for a month that I'm the best man for the job and that's very important.
“What we have got to try and do is pass over our message and in the first four sessions we've done that very successfully,
“I am absolutely certain [we have enough in the squad to stay in the Premier League] and what is vital is my confidence must be transferred to the players so that they realise they are the stars of the show.”
Mel left Real Betis in December as the club struggled against relegation. Despite the unhappy end to his tenure, he revealed he was proud of his time at the Benito Villamarin.
“When I started at Betis they were in the Spanish second tier and didn't have any money.
“Four years later we were playing in the Europa League.
“There were four very tough years of work in Betis.
Here it is really the same job that I've got to do. I hope that in the future, and many years from now when I leave here, that West Brom will also be in my heart.”
