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Jonjo Shelvey only had to peak over the garden fence to see his favourite footballer – but he still defied Steven Gerrard to complete his summer move to Swansea City .

Shelvey locks midfield horns with Gerrard tonight as Liverpool attempt to reclaim the leadership of the Premier League at the Liberty Stadium.

But there was a time when the two men were neighbours in well-heeled Formby and the £5m Swans recruit had to pinch himself that he was living next door to the England captain.

“I went from living in a council house to this big house and looking out of my window at his place,” said Shelvey.

“It’s mad, mental, because I grew up watching him and then to be living next door to him was insane.

“I’ve always tried to emulate him because he has always been my favourite player. You learn by seeing what he does on the training pitch and for Liverpool and England over a number of years – spectacular.”

But Shelvey admitted that adulation does not sit easy in the harsh world of professional football when young players are trying to climb the ladder, and he revealed that he rejected Gerrard’s advice to extend a Liverpool career which brought 69 appearances in three seasons.

“I suppose there comes a time in your life when you can’t copy him, you have got to be your own player,” said Shelvey, who says he has settled well to Swansea life by the beach where he walks his dog. “I’m not going out there every game and saying ‘I’ve got be like Steven Gerrard’.

“I play the way I play and if that’s the way he plays then brilliant because I’d be happy to have half the career he’s had.

“I’m not one to go on the training pitch and ask for tips. It’s not the way I am, but if I do see something I’ll probably try it – and end up looking like an idiot!

“I said to Stevie that I might have to go elsewhere to get football and he told me ‘stay here, you’ll get your chance’.

Gallery: Swansea v Liverpool - The key statistics

“It was great to hear that from him but I felt I needed to come away. It was probably mad because that’s me turning him down to stay there, but I felt I had to get away to play and I’m lucky that I’ve found my feet at a club like Swansea.”

Shelvey has hit the ground running at his new club, adding a new dimension to Swansea’s pretty passing patterns with accurate long-range balls reminiscent of his former Anfield mentor.

At 21, Shelvey still retains a degree of impetuousness evident when he found himself in the middle of spot-kick controversy at Tottenham three weeks ago, but he has already played over 130 senior games since making his debut as a 16-year-old at Charlton and has great experience for someone of his tender years.

The Londoner has been a mainstay of the England Under-21 set up and was recently showered by praise from national-team boss Roy Hodgson, who confessed that Shelvey was in the frame to add to his solitary senior cap won against San Marino last October.

It remains to be seen whether Hodgson will make his first visit to the Liberty Stadium tonight as England manager, but Shelvey said it was pleasing to hear such sentiments.

“It was good but in a sense you’re disappointed because you want to play for your country,” said Shelvey, who in the end lost out to Everton’s impressive tyro Ross Barkley. “Even when we were away with the 21s he (Hodgson) was always talking to me and saying ‘It won’t be long before you’re in there.’

“He rang me before the 21s trip and said ‘I’d rather you get 90 minutes for the 21s than come away with the seniors.

“He said I might not get on and I’d rather get a full game for the 21s than sit on the bench for the seniors and maybe get 10 minutes or nothing at all.

“People talk about England but it’s what you do at your club, that’s what will get you into the team.

“You can’t do anything off the pitch to get you into the team. You can do as many interviews as you want and talk up the England manager, but it’s what happens on the pitch and that’s what I’ve got to show on Monday.”

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Yet judging by the comments of his former Liverpool colleague Jamie Carragher, Shelvey is most definitely at the right club to state his England credentials.

Carragher, freshly retired and forging a new career as an eloquent media pundit, declared last week that England should play like Swansea in trying to restore their international reputation.

“For him to say that speaks volumes about this club,” said Shelvey.

“But I do agree with him because the way England play is very traditional.

“It’s no-one’s fault, it’s just the way England have played for a number of years.

“Look at the likes of Spain and Italy – we got battered by the Italians in the Under-21 European Championship and could not get the ball off them, but we had the players to do that to them.

“It’s frustrating because you get told to sit off and defend when we should be going out there and attacking them.

“We get on the pitch and we’re set up not to get beat, so it doesn’t look as if we want to win.

“I’m an England fan myself when they’re playing so I know why people get frustrated when we don’t pass lesser nations off the park.

“I hope the new generation of players can do it because we’re still young and there’s a lot of World Cups and European Championships to come

“We need to show a bit more bravery when we do play for our countries to get on the ball and pass it. That’s something which is encouraged at Swansea.”

Of course, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers had something to do with that during his time at the Liberty and the Ulsterman returns tonight with his philosophy and plans starting to take shape on Merseyside.

Rodgers expects to have Daniel Sturridge available after thigh trouble ruled the England striker out the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, the former Manchester City and Chelsea forward key in the absence of the suspended Luis Suarez.

Sturridge has scored every one of Liverpool’s three Premier League goals, 1-0 wins against Stoke, Aston Villa and Manchester United which have secured a perfect nine points return.

It should be the same side which beat champions United two weeks ago but new signings Victor Moses, Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori could all make the bench, as could former Swans midfielder Joe Allen if he shakes off the hamstring and ankle injuries which prevented him from playing a part in Wales’ World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Serbia.

Swansea have Nathan Dyer available again and transfer deadline-day signing Alvaro Vazquez should be on the bench, but Neil Taylor is still sidelined with a thigh injury set to keep him out for another three weeks.