Brendan: Steven has gold dust to share
Brendan Rodgers sees no obstacle to Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard entering the coaching side of football once the legendary midfielder eventually concludes his illustrious playing career.
The past 48 hours have been filled to the brim with heartfelt tributes and sincere words of respect for the No.8 after he announced what was described as 'the toughest decision of my life'.
Gerrard will bid an emotional farewell to the Reds, the club he has represented with such aplomb, determination and dignity for 17 years, when the 2014-15 season draws to a close in May.
The man many consider to be Liverpool's greatest ever player, with 695 appearances and 180 goals to date, plus medals from the Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Cup and League Cup, will depart for America.
Anfield's door shall remain permanently ajar for the Englishman as and when he wishes to return in the future, and Rodgers has outlined why he sees all of the necessary qualities within the skipper for a post-playing role.
"I do genuinely believe that he is that type, he can offer great advice," said the boss, who has worked closely with Gerrard for two-and-a-half years. "It's whether it's something that he wants to do.
"When players retire and finish, they have been in this cauldron for so many years and especially with the eyes on you at a club like this here.
"They move away and they might find that after a year or two out of it, it's actually not something they want to do and there are other opportunities for them that are maybe less stressful than moving into coaching and management.
"That's something that he'll find out in his time away from the football club. From my perspective here, the experience that he has of Liverpool as a club and those little bits of gold dust that he can give players would be invaluable to young players.
"But moving into coaching and management is not something you just click your fingers and move into. There's a lot of work, lot of hours, lot of time and a lot of commitment that has to go into that.
"I always speak with players that are getting towards the end of their career, who I feel are maybe two or three years away. I always say that if you want to move into coaching or management, take two or three years to really get your eye in on it, because it's not something that you can just click your fingers and walk into - it's a pressure situation.
"You see coaches coming in on the back of managers, learning the ropes and then maybe one day moving on in that field. For Steven, that would be a great opportunity for him to do that, but time will tell if that's something that he's really interested in."
The Northern Irishman continued: "I don't see any reason why he couldn't be. In my time here and knowing him, he's a wonderful leader in the changing room.
"You have seen over many years where players haven't been able to do that and find a different route. But he's certainly somebody that if he puts the commitment into wanting to do it - that he's shown in his football career - and studies and puts in the hours and works, there's no question that could happen.
"He's a genuine guy, a really authentic person who, if he decides that's the route he wants to go down - I know he's already started taking the early stages of his coaching badges - and if he really wants to go down that route, I know that's something he'll focus his life on doing. If he can do that, there's absolutely no question why he couldn't be."