"It's a special type of player who can play that position," he told the Echo. "Lucas Leiva has played there outstandingly well for us, Joe Allen has played it well, and I think Steven Gerrard can play it because of his personality.
"If you look at the profile of someone in that position, tactically, it's someone who can co-ordinate the game and can lead it from behind. You have to understand when to play short, when to play long and when to press the ball.
"You need to have charisma and leadership qualities to play in there. You need to have the love of the football. You need to want the ball; you have got to be the guy who opens up the game for the team.
"Steven has all those qualities. Steven is not - and he will tell you himself - at 33 what he was at 23. But what he still has are world-class qualities such as his passing and his reading of the game.
"You see with his passing range, short and long, that he can really contribute from there. I believe that role could prolong his career into his late 30s."
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