'Jordan can hit goal trail'

The 21-year-old signed a long-term deal at Anfield earlier this month to tie up his transfer from Sunderland, and recently admitted he'd like to find the back of the net on a more consistent basis.

Former Reds star McDermott, who was famed for his uncanny knack of hitting the target from midfield, is confident Henderson can achieve his target if he puts the hours in on the Melwood training pitches.

"I never scored many for Newcastle and if you look at my record you'll see I didn't get many in the first few seasons at Liverpool," McDermott, who netted 81 goals in 329 games for Liverpool, told LFC Weekly.

"I think it's definitely something you can learn to do. You adapt as you get older and you become a wiser footballer. You learn about what you can and can't do. I was a daft sod off the pitch but on it I wanted to win and cared about becoming a better player. I studied those around me and watched what they did. That helped me a lot.

"I began to realise what I needed to do to score more often. I was good at getting forward and knew that I could score more goals. The coaches at the club encouraged me to do it and that helped too. All of a sudden I was getting 15 to 20 goals a season.

"I think if Jordan works on that side of his game, there's no reason why he can't get double figures too. He's definitely capable of it. I think he has shown that with the goals he has scored for Sunderland."

Click the image to watch five great Terry Mac goals

Already regarded as one of the brightest prospects in English football, McDermott feels working alongside the likes of Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard on a daily basis can help Henderson take his game to the next level.

McDermott added: "Kenny is the master. I'm sure he'll work with Jordan on what he needs to do. Any player who signs for the club now will learn plenty from Kenny. Andy Carroll's the same. I'm sure Kenny will help him become an even better centre-forward.

"As well as Kenny, Jordan will also have Steven Gerrard to look up to. I think he's spoken about how he admires him already. If he listens to him and puts in the effort that's required, there's no reason why he can't be a great player for the club. I think he's a very astute signing."

Henderson's acquisition significantly bolsters the options Dalglish has at his disposal for 2011-12.

The former Sunderland star is as equally adept at operating in a right-wing position as he is in central midfield.

McDermott feels such versatility will stand him in good stead at Anfield.

"Any time I have seen him play it has been on the box," he said. "I recently watched him for England U21s at the European Championships. It's clear to me that he's a good player. He's very energetic and can function in more than one position.

"That versatility is a great asset. It gives the manager options if he has players who can slot in to different positions. It's great for Jordan too became it gives him more chance of playing.

"When everyone is fit, Kenny will have a lot of options in midfield and that's got to be a good thing."