"It is with great regret that I have tendered my resignation as a director of the club," White said on the Liverpool Web site following his comments in Friday's Daily Mirror.

After Liverpool's 2-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester United White was anonymously quoted as saying: "We have paid too many inflated prices and inflated wages for players who are not doing the job.

"And when the manager decides they are not doing the job, we cannot get rid of them because nobody wants them for the sort of money we want back.

"It means we're losing money we can't afford to lose. We have too many players of poor quality and from the way the manager keeps on changing the side it looks as if he doesn't know what his best team is."

White's criticism forced Benitez to defend his time at Anfield and to ask his critics for patience, saying it was too early in the campaign to judge how Liverpool would fare.

UNTENABLE POSITION

As soon as Friday's article appeared White told Liverpool chairman David Moores he was behind the comments and recognised that this made his position on the board untenable.

"In view of the controversy caused by comments in a national newspaper... and the effect this has had on the chairman, my fellow directors, the manager and many supporters, I feel the honourable course is to resign," White said on Tuesday.

Moores paid tribute to White's contribution over the years saying: "This is very sad for both the club and Mr White who has been a valuable member of the board for 21 years.

"However, the board considers that the statements made do not reflect its own views and that this is not the Liverpool way of doing business. The proper place for debate is around the boardroom table.

"It is vital that we pull together at all times whether on the field or off it.