Rafael Benitez tells his Newcastle players: 'It's time to do a Vladimir Smicer'

Smicer, a Czech midfielder, had slipped down the Liverpool pecking order in the 2004-05 season, and by the time Benitez’s side were preparing for the Champions League final, he had already been told his contract would not be renewed.

However, within 22 minutes of the final in Istanbul, he was coming off the bench to replace an injured Harry Kewell, and his name will forever be etched in Anfield folklore thanks to the long-range strike that helped Liverpool overhaul a three-goal deficit to draw 3-3 with AC Milan and the successful penalty that helped secure a shoot-out win.

Eleven years on, and Benitez finds himself heading for another dramatic denouement, albeit in rather less rarefied surroundings, as his Newcastle side look to haul themselves out of the relegation zone in the final two months of the campaign.

He once again finds himself presiding over a number of players with uncertain futures, but while the likes of Steven Taylor, Kevin Mbabu, Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux are all due to become free agents this summer after barely kicking a ball in the last 12 months, Benitez claims there is still time for anyone to emerge as an unlikely hero.

“We need to make sure we are a team because we have just eight games to play, and we have to make sure that everyone can give to this situation,” said the Newcastle boss, who will lead his side back into action when they travel to their relegation rivals, Norwich City, on Saturday.

“I was telling people in the final (with Liverpool in 2005), 'If you are not playing, maybe you can be important in the future, so carry on doing your job’. And Smicer - he scored the second goal – he was a player who was not playing too many games, but he was scoring in the final

“So every single player here, they can give you something. Maybe in the last game they can score the winning goal or make a save, and maybe it will be the crucial save or the crucial goal. If they can do that, I will be really pleased because we will be really strong.”

Benitez has specifically highlighted Siem de Jong as a fringe performer who could have a crucial role to play. The Dutch attacking midfielder has suffered a hugely frustrating two seasons since joining Newcastle in a much-trumpeted £6m move from Ajax, and a succession of injury problems have restricted him to just three league starts during the current campaign.

However, he has come off the bench in both of Newcastle’s matches under Benitez, with his 28-minute display against Sunderland helping turn things around as the Magpies fought back to claim a 1-1 draw.

As a former Ajax captain and senior Dutch international, de Jong boasts extensive experience, and with the pressure set to increase markedly as the relegation picture becomes clearer, the 27-year-old could find himself playing an increasingly prominent role.

“He (de Jong) is a good player,” said Benitez. “He has quality and experience. At this time, you need experience, you need people that can understand the game and play the game under pressure.

“That is the most difficult thing, to play the game under pressure. Some players are good players, but struggle under pressure, but he will be important for the rest of the season.

“He knows what to do with the ball on the pitch. He’s not scared to receive the ball and try to do things. It’s really important for the young players and for everyone because you know that you can give the ball to him and he will try his best, but he will do it well.

“Some people, maybe they know how to take possession, but they are so anxious they will make mistakes. So to manage the pressure is important now.”

De Jong is part of a senior leadership group that has been encouraged to take on added responsibilities in recent weeks, with the likes of Jack Colback, Daryl Janmaat and Moussa Sissoko also joining skipper Fabricio Coloccini in the senior cabal.

A lack of leadership was a key criticism levelled at Newcastle under Steve McClaren, but Benitez claims the same thing can be said of a number of clubs in the current era.

“Believe me, it’s the same at the majority of teams now,” he said. “You have good professionals, but you don’t have too many leaders.

“For me, the leaders have to be an example on the pitch, outside the pitch, and they have to have the respect of the other players and staff.

“I think that now, with social networks and things, they think about themselves and don’t normally think about the team. We are trying to keep everyone together, and to realise how important it is to stick together now.”