"I'd be gutted if Steve were leaving Liverpool. I was so pleased to hear the club will find some role for him because in terms of coaching and looking after young players, there's no one in Europe with a record as good as his," said the skipper.
"I remember the first day I walked into Liverpool Football Club and Steve was the one who was there to meet me and look after me. For what must be nearly 20 years he's done a terrific job and you only have to look at the kind of names he's brought through to see that.
"He was someone who worked from 8am to being the last person to leave at night. It's been 24 hours a day commitment to Liverpool and I hope the club do something to mark his contribution, possibly on the last day of the season against Charlton.
"The fans know he was a top player, but I'm sure they'd like to show their appreciation for his work bringing through youngsters."