Sean Leonard meets Rafael Benitez.

Paul Fitzpatrick

A budding Cavan artist got the shock of a lifetime when he recently presented a hand-drawn portrait to former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez - only for the Portuguese former Champions League winner to recognise the drawing, having spotted it on Twitter.

Sean Leonard, from Moynehall, had posted the image on the social networking site some weeks ago and Benitez - who has over 87,000 followers on the site - noticed it.

"I couldn't believe it," Sean told The Anglo-Celt.

"I did it a couple of weeks ago when I heard he was coming to do the signing. When I presented it to him he just said 'you put this up on Twitter'. I was saying to myself, 'how the hell did he see that'..."

Specialising in hand-drawn portraits, Leonard works on the pieces in his spare time, "a couple of hours each evening" but spent four full days working on the Benitez portrait.

"I do it on and off, I'm working full-time in Dublin so I do it in my spare time. I'd do a couple of hours every evening on one and it would take a week or two weeks usually, but I'm doing it for years so I'm used to it."

Rafa wasn't the first celebrity presented with their own Leonard portrait - Sean previously got one signed by former Irish manager Jack Charlton.

And the reaction?

"He was delighted with it, delighted to get it. I don't know where it is now - it could be in his bathroom or it could be in the bin!"

Follow Sean Leonard on Twitter (@seanleonardart) or Facebook, or contact him directly on 086 4099927.