Houllier said: "He is playing like a leader. By example. As he said, you have to stand up and be counted. I like that. His energy is infectious. All great teams have someone like that who is the soul of the team. France had it with Didier Deschamps.
"Steven started at the academy and the next step for him is to produce his top game nine times out of 10. That would take him to the world-class level. He is a very straightforward lad and he has matured a lot. He cares for people. He cares for the welfare of all the people at the club.
"You have got to live with the game in terms of pace and physicality. And that means if you drink, you've got problems. You might get away with it until the age of 25 ... but then see what happens.
"He understands now that he has to live for his job and he is happy to have the gift and the passion for football.
"He has 10 or 15 years to devote his life to his game and then he will be able to enjoy the advantages. At the moment, he can't do both."
