The 21-year-old, who spent much of last season on loan to Gary McAllister's Coventry City, was in inspirational form during the reserves 2-0 win at Middlesbrough and McAuley expects his young charge to prove his worth to Gerard Houllier in the forthcoming campaign.
McAuley said: "Richie looked very bright and sharp. He was going past defenders for fun and delivered good crosses.
"He worked exceptionally hard for the team and worked hard defensively for us as well, he got into good positions and made a good contribution to the game.
"Richie is a natural footballer, he is a natural wide player who can down the right or left side. He can go past defenders and deliver good crosses from both flanks which he did against Middlesbrough.
"The experience he had during his loan with Coventry last season has been good for him and hopefully before too long he can really press on, continue with his good form and make a name for himself."
