Houllier said: "I think Michael will be awesome next year. We must remember he is still only 23 years old. Most players do not peak until they are 27 but with Michael it will happen earlier because he played in the first team when he was only 17.
"There is no doubt his best is yet to come but he is probably peaking at this stage of the season because he went to the World Cup and it takes time to recover. The good thing about Michael is he always takes on board the advice is given and he learns.
"I would say he has improved a lot in terms of the comprehensiveness of his game. His all-round game has improved a lot. He is scoring goals and creating chances for other people. He gave a wonderful performance against Fulham. He is still producing wonderful moments of individual brilliance but on top of that he is bringing his team mates into play a lot more.
"He has the game of a world class footballer. His ball control, speed of turn and movement have all improved. He is also a tremendous influence on our other strikers. Milan Baros, who I thought was very good on Saturday, and Neil Mellor can learn from him."
