“Jordan had done well at Sunderland and been at Liverpool for year but it was more difficult for him and some of those who came in. I could not promise him he would be playing every week, but I could promise we would improve him if he stayed with us. From that conversation he said he wanted to stay and prove he could play regularly for Liverpool. From that moment he was brilliant for me.

“If you remember, before I went to Liverpool he was playing wide in a 4-4-2, and his job was to get crosses into the box.

“When he moved inside he showed his qualities. He developed his game, was always responsive to ideas and made a natural progression to be captain.

“You always knew you were going to get work rate and intensity with Jordan. He could give you good energy in the central area. His running power is a great strength, and when you do not have the ball he has a great hunger to press the game.

“What is often overlooked in the season we narrowly missed out on the title (in 2014) is how much we missed Jordan in the game against Chelsea. He was sent off in the previous match at Anfield against Manchester City in injury time. It was so unfortunate. His physical influence – the pressing he brought to that team – was really missed."