"He is a very good player and has been great for the past couple of seasons. He's now Ireland's main right-back by some distance and he's also the best in the Premiership at the moment," said Whelan, who captained Liverpool to their 1989 FA Cup success.
"He goes about his business very quietly, he doesn't grab the headlines but he does an excellent job on the right side of defence.
"When he first signed for Liverpool, you couldn't help but think, 'is he really that good?' but he is getting better and better.
"His consistency has been first class and you can't ask for anything more. He's proven to be a very shrewd signing. His attacking play is coming on in leaps and bounds and it is no surprise that he's had so many assists this year.
"He's set up a lot of important goals. On top of that, he defends really well. He knows when to pass, when to stay on his feet. I'm sure he can improve even further.
"In many ways, he's like Phil Neal. He is always steady and gives you 100% every game. He's the type of player every successful side needs."