The Spaniard committed his future to the Magpies last month despite being unable to prevent them from being relegated into the Championship.
Benitez initially came in for 10 games, with both parties having a brteak clause if Newcastle fell out of the Premier League.
However, he opted to stay, signing a new three-year deal, and Darlow says it has delighted the players.
“The fans showed how much they wanted Rafa here and myself and the rest of the team were no different,” he told the club’s official website.
“You can see from what he’s achieved in his career that he is a top class manager and he’s proved that in the short time he’s been here at Newcastle.
“Since he came in we looked a lot more solid, he got his ideas across very clearly and it showed on the pitch.
“We ended the season strongly which is encouraging but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.
“We played some great football at times and I know the players were desperate for Rafa to stay, so we were all delighted when it was agreed.”