Kenny Dalglish admits he is not surprised at all by the brilliant form Jordan Henderson is showing in a red shirt and has singled out his growing influence on the team.

Liverpool's No.14 has received a lot of plaudits in recent times after scoring two magnificent goals during the past week in vital Anfield victories over Manchester City and Burnley, which have given the Reds a great opportunity of finishing in the top-four come the end of the season.

It was the Liverpool legend who swooped to bring the midfielder to Anfield from Sunderland in the summer of 2011, and he now looks on with pride as the vice-captain continues to grow under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers.

Speaking in his regular column for the Daily Mirror, Dalglish believes Henderson deserves a lot of credit for his development playing in front of the Kop.

"I don't think anyone can dispute that Jordan Henderson is now one of the mainstays of a Liverpool side that is moving forward," said Dalglish.

"And his development has highlighted the importance decisions can play in a player's career.

"Sometimes, decisions are made that are going to have a huge influence on your career - sometimes for better, other times for worse.

"Jordan's career, at this particular moment in time, is jogging along fantastically well. So you can say that any decision that has been made up to this point, more often than not, has been right.

"I signed him in 2011 and I don't know for certain what options he had to leave Liverpool, but it is good news for the club and for Jordan that he stayed.

"He has had a few bumps and bruises along the way - they will stand him in good stead - and needed a bit of reassurance at times.

"Everybody, unless they are masochistic, likes to have nice things said about them. That doesn't change if you are a footballer.

"But life is all about making decisions and the more you get right the better chance you have of enjoying whatever career you are in.

"What I do know is the most important option open to him, because he had huge ability, was to be a professional footballer.

"He has taken that opportunity. I don't know if he has reached his own expectations yet.

"I'm sure he has his targets and would like a few more winners medals in his pocket. But I don't think anybody can dispute his importance in this Liverpool team."

In recent weeks Rodgers has been quick to refute suggestions that Henderson will be a ready made replacement for the departing Steven Gerrard next season, insisting that his vice-captain is his own man and offers different qualities to his team.

Dalglish also insists recent comments comparing Henderson with Gerrard is totally unfair on Liverpool's No.14.

He added: "It is unfair to use the word 'replace' when you talk about Jordan, Steven Gerrard and the Liverpool captaincy, though.

"He doesn't replace Steven. Nobody will - you can forget ANYBODY coming in as a one-off replacement. He just takes over as captain when Steven leaves in the summer. Taking on the mantle doesn't seem to faze Jordan.

"It's like a sport all its own in this country - you pigeonhole somebody coming through and put a tag on them.

"But he is his own man and if you're your own person, you have got a better chance of succeeding.

"Jordan was only a 19-year-old boy when he moved to Liverpool from Sunderland.

"You could see in the matches and when he trained that he was determined to be a top-class footballer and he has worked as hard as anyone to become one.

"He settled in brilliantly, but there was a noticeable difference in him when he played a bit of England U21 football after being at Liverpool for 18 months or so.

"The year before, when he played at that level, he was a wee boy. But when he went back - it was for an U21s tournament, if I remember correctly - he had a real presence about him.

"He handles himself fantastically well. He is very settled in his private life and his football has matured alongside him. His determination to be a footballer always stood out.

"Everybody sees the glamour side of being a footballer but not the other side - the sacrifices, dedication and determination that you have to make and have alongside that ability.

"How many people have you seen with far more ability than some but they lose their way and don't make it?

"But he had the sole thought in this mind that he was going to be a player. He didn't spit his dummy out when there was something said about him that was not complimentary. He would just work even harder.

"And if something complimentary was said, he never got carried away with it.

"He is very level either way and a fantastic example to anybody."