"He is training again now and I was really happy with him at the end of last season," said the Liverpool boss.
"He was injured, but he was always in the dressing room and he was always encouraging his team-mates and supporting them.
"This year he has started pre-season training really well. I am thinking about using him sometimes as a central midfielder because he has experience at Middlesbrough in this position.
"He also has quality, and with his experience and his game intelligence he can give us more things.
"I think he was happier in this position, and with us losing Hamann, we will have Momo Sissoko, Stevie Gerrard and Xabi Alonso for that position - and maybe Bolo, too."