If you want to be the best midfield player in the world, you’re going to need two things. The first is a more than generous helping of God-given talent; the second, all too often forgotten given football’s glamorous image, is not to be afraid of extremely hard work.

Steven Gerrard is already one of the world’s best midfielders and if one man is aware of the amount of graft the Liverpool captain has put in to achieve his current exalted status, it’s the England coach Sammy Lee.

Lee has been a full-time member of Sven-Göran Eriksson’s team since 2004, but for the decade before that he was an integral part of the Anfield coaching staff, where he had the pleasure of watching Gerrard progress through the ranks.

The young Gerrard’s boundless ability was never in doubt, but Lee insists it would have amounted to nothing without the player’s impeccable application and attitude.

"By the age of 15, we knew Stevie was very good," Lee says. "But all the top players train incredibly hard and that’s why they do well. Stevie trains exactly the way he plays and gets the rewards in his performances. To see his progress has been extremely pleasing."

Lee, himself a combative midfielder for Liverpool in a glittering career between 1977 and 1986, knows all about Gerrard’s key assets. "He has talent, character and confidence. His passing ability, both long and short-range, is second to none.

"He’s got tremendous energy levels and a long stride that makes it difficult for opponents to track or prevent his runs from deep. He’s got a terrifically fierce shot and he’s versatile. Stevie can perform at a very high level in a number of positions, for club and country. That shows his quality."

The finished article, perhaps? "There’s no such thing," says Lee. "Once you think you can’t improve any further, that’s a problem. Everybody playing football, even the most senior professionals, should always be looking to improve.

One of Stevie’s greatest assets is that he’s constantly striving to get better. We don’t always end up telling players like Stevie what they need to work on, it’s often a case of them telling us!"

Gerrard was handed the England captain’s armband for the game against Sweden in March 2004 and Lee feels that the Liverpudlian handled the job well. "We’ve got a number of leaders and Stevie is one of them," he says.

"He’s very encouraging in the changing room and, with the other senior players, is an excellent influence on new squad members.

"Stevie goes out of his way to make them feel welcome because stepping up to international level is daunting. We’re trying to create a friendly club atmosphere."

So, would Gerrard have cut it alongside the Kop legends of Lee’s playing days? "He wouldn’t be outclassed in any era of football," says Lee.

"A class player is a class player. I don’t like comparisons, though. He’s making his own way. He’s trying to be Stevie Gerrard and he’s doing it very well."