Boss expects double bonus for Gerrard

The vast majority of the midfielder's 650 appearances for the club have featured the No.8 in an advanced position to allow his natural creative ability and vision to flourish on a personal and collective level.

On the day the skipper equalled Phil Neal's games record in Red and further closed the gap on third place in that all-time list, Gerrard was utilised in a noticeably deeper role during the 5-3 victory at Stoke City.

His deployment at the base of Rodgers' midfield provided the Englishman with a zone from which he could dictate play, and freed the energetic pair of Jordan Henderson and Lucas Leiva to press the opposition in threatening areas.

The boss was satisfied enough with the experiment at the Britannia Stadium to reveal afterwards that the new tactic would continue; now he has explained precisely why it could prove so positive.

Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo: "It's something Steven and I have spoken about for a while. I thought he did very well in that role at Stoke - the mix of his game was excellent.

"It's a special type of player who can play that position. 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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Having spent more than 15 years in the first team steadily increasing his goal tally - 163 is the current total for the captain - the transformation is, of course, not going to occur overnight.

Following the clash with Stoke, Gerrard himself accepted that he may require 'a few games' to claim complete comfort in the role, but his boss could not have more confidence in the man from Huyton.

"Steven's movement patterns in games for most of his career have been in the other half of the field," the Northern Irishman continued.

"Now you are reprogramming him for his movement patterns in this half of the field. Once we continue to do more work on it on the training field, he'll get that total picture of where he's at.

"Physically, you don't need to be running the length of the field, but you need to be able to move quickly over short spaces. Steven has that agility.

"I always look and analyse every player and think: 'That's his No.1 position but where else could he play?'

"You can't put everyone into other roles but I think there are certain players you can. I always felt, having watched Steven over many years, he could play there.

"Physically, there comes a point where you aren't what you were at 23. Then it's a question of how can you still exploit the qualities?

"Steven is still one of the best dead-ball specialists in world football and we are the highest goalscorers in the Premier League from set-pieces this season.

"It's a role I think he's excited to play. If you look at some of the top players in world football, they have had spells in that position."

Expanding on his theory further, Rodgers outlined how the subtle switch of Gerrard's starting position provides a host of combinations between the skipper, Joe Allen, Henderson and Lucas.

He added: "We've been playing with a single pivot and two in front since the game at Tottenham. I prefer it with two attacking players in the midfield three.

"I don't like two defensive players, I'd rather have one defensive and two attacking. For the two pushed on, it's about getting up, pressing and suffocating the game when we don't have the ball.

"When we have it, it's about being positive and getting in the corridor in the box. It's my preferred system when we have the players available but obviously certain games dictate certain tactics. At times we may need to spin it around and play the other way.

"If you think back to when Lucas first came to the club, he was an attacking midfield player. I like players to be multi-functional and be able to play in different positions.

"I believe Lucas can play that role. What's important for me in the two advanced roles is that they have to be able to really go and press the ball high up the field. That's how the system works.

"Jordan and Joe Allen did that exceptionally well in the games when Steven was out and Lucas was controlling in behind.

"If you flip it around and put Steven there, look at the range of passing he gives you and his agility with the ball. That leaves the other two boys in midfield to go and join in higher up the pitch, like they did at Stoke."