Jordon: How Gerrard inspires LFC starlets

The skipper is set to leave Anfield at the end of the season as the club's third-highest appearance maker of all-time and fifth-highest scorer ever.

He will also take Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup winners' medals - among others - with him when he heads to the United States to start a new adventure with LA Galaxy.

These are the heights which every youngster who walks through the doors of the Academy aspires to; this is what is at stake when they take to the training field each day.

Thankfully, Gerrard himself is using his final months at Melwood to aid their cause, and it is the likes of Jordon Ibe who stand to benefit.

The winger, who moved to Merseyside as a hotly-tipped 16-year-old in 2011, is attempting to follow the same path to greatness initially walked by his captain.

And he is making the most of his final chance to watch a club legend up close every day as he looks to emulate such lofty achievements.

"[Gerrard]'s been a big deal for us. He's always helped all the other players in the team," Ibe said.

"He's helped a lot of the young lads, including me, so it's going to be a shame to lose him. But I'm happy for him to continue his journey.

"Sometimes he doesn't even have to say anything but you just see the way that he conducts himself on and off the pitch, you can just see that he’s a legend for the club.

"Playing with him, you just want to play to the best of your ability and it keeps you on your toes. He's a great role model for the club and other players."

Ibe's impact in the second half of the season has led Brendan Rodgers to highlight him as one of a select band of starlets at the club capable of softening the blow of Gerrard's departure.

The 19-year-old is eager to do such praise justice by making the most of his chances to play.

"It gives me a lot of confidence, especially with getting my chance to play now," he said of his manager's endorsement.

"But obviously there are a lot of youngsters coming through as well so there's quite a few of us that will get a chance to impress.

"It's great because there's more opportunities coming now and there's obviously players leaving, so hopefully we can do well and become the future of the club."

The former Wycombe wideman had in fact not expected to be pulling on a Liverpool shirt in 2014-15, having agreed a season-long loan deal with Derby County back in August.

His progress under the tutelage of Steve McClaren prompted Rodgers to rethink his plans, however, with Ibe being recalled to his parent club in January.

The England youth international admits he was worried that he would find playing time hard to come by in the event of a return, but credits the manager for throwing him into first-team action immediately.

"I thought I was going to be at Derby for the rest of the season but my aim was to always come back at one point and it obviously happened and I've enjoyed it since," he added.

"I was thinking if I came back I might not play, I'd just be on the bench and watching most games just for experience.

"But everything's gone well enough and I have to thank the gaffer for that and I’m enjoying it. 

"[Rodgers] spoke to me two weeks prior to me coming back and he said the way we’re playing now would give me a chance to fit in.

"He said, 'When you get back we'll just start training and hopefully you can get in and start playing games'. 

"I slightly doubted it because I was starting games at Derby, but he's come through and delivered so I've been grateful for that."