"Yes, I think he deserves that. He has scored many goals already and is playing really well for us," he said.
"We still have a few games to go and with Fernando on fire as he has been I see no reason why he won't reach that target and beat the record.
"We will have to wait and see but he definitely has the quality to score more than 23 league goals this season. Like I say, it seems like he can score in every game.
"To take the record from someone like Van Nistelrooy would be a great achievement. He was absolutely fabulous for Manchester United in that first season and most of the years to follow. Van Nistelrooy is a great striker but Fernando is only going to get better and better. I can only see him scoring more goals.
"He is always a threat for opposing defenders. It is unbelievable just how well he has adapted to the Premier League and settled in so easily at Liverpool.
"Speaking from my own experience I know how difficult it is to come to a big club from a new country.
"For Dutch people, who often speak English already, it is probably much easier than for a Spanish player who may not know the language right away, as was the case with Fernando.
"We've seen over the years that many players who don't know the language need a little more time to adapt. For example, someone like Lucas Leiva has needed a few more months than Fernando to get used to things here but that is a testament to just how quickly Fernando has taken to everything.
"He is scoring in almost every game now, which is a pleasure for everyone else in the team. It means we are confident of scoring every time we play. If we get it right defensively this means we have a good chance of winning every game."