Days after the Liverpool captain surpassed Kenny Dalglish in the club's all-time goalscoring list with a brace at West Ham United, the Scot hailed Steven Gerrard as 'a shining example to everybody'.

The Reds' skipper struck the target from 12 yards twice at Upton Park on Sunday, in the process guiding his team to a ninth consecutive Barclays Premier League win and a return to top spot.

On a personal level, the double increased Gerrard's tally for Liverpool to 173 and thereby carried the 33-year-old ahead of the man known simply as 'the King' in the chart of prolific players.

Dalglish watched the feat unfold in East London and, having had time to reflect on the achievement, the former Reds player and manager revealed the depth of his respect for the talismanic No.8.

The 63-year-old told Liverpoolfc.com: "He has been fantastic for the football club and he's a great example for everybody.

"He's a fantastic statesman; he has been unbelievably successful at this football club with what he's done, the amount of games he has pulled out of the mire, and the general way he conducts himself.

"He's really matured over the years; carrying the captaincy for Liverpool Football Club is quite an onerous job and I think he does it remarkably well.

"It's admirable the way he conducts himself and his interviews. What he does on the pitch is a shining example to everybody else round about him."

Three more points against West Ham launched Liverpool above Chelsea to the summit of the Premier League, with five fixtures left to navigate before the campaign concludes.

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"The club has got the feeling back that it used to have - and that's fantastic," Dalglish, now a non-executive director at Anfield, continued.

"Everybody is in it together, and I think that's a fantastic asset that has been installed in the players. Brendan has done a fantastic job, bringing them all together and getting them all playing for and with each other.

"Off the pitch, the football club is very healthy as well. Everything is moving onwards and upwards, and hopefully it continues."

As supporters begin to dream about the possibility of their team claiming the championship in May, Dalglish acknowledged the progress overseen by Rodgers - no matter the eventual outcome.

He added: "If Liverpool don't win the title, it will be disappointing because you've got so close and tried to win it - but it's a fantastic achievement to get in the Champions League.

"Everybody would love to see us getting in the Champions League, and if they can do it then that would be fantastic. Anything else, over and above that, would be a real bonus."