The Argentinian has been dogged by controversy and rumour since his arrival at West Ham at the start of the season. However Benitez believes the youngster can now begin to settle and prove his worth at Anfield.
Rafa said, "If you analyse his two performances so far he has played very well. He is good at both keeping possession, tackling and fighting to get the ball back. We're sure he's going to be a really good player for us. He is someone who not only passes well, but he always arrives to support team-mates and give a good option to their passing."
And Rafa admitted that the player would likely challenge Xabi Alonso in the starting line up.
He said, "We don't have a lot of these type of players. Only Xabi can play in this holding role. Momo and Gerrard like to go forward a lot more, so it's important for the balance to have someone like Mascherano."