Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez says Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is ready for management.

Benitez believes the way Gerrard, 36, was able to adapt himself to different midfield positions throughout his playing career will stand him in good stead if he decides his future lies in management.

Benitez said: “Little by little, Steven changed his position as a player.

“For Liverpool, I played him on the right – and he scored more than 20 goals. Then when Fabio Capello was the England coach, sometimes he played wide on the left side.

“Later on, Stevie's best position for me was as a second striker behind Fernando Torres.

“When you can adjust to three or four different positions like that then your understanding of the game becomes better.

“I think at that time, Steven learned about different problems and how to come up with the solutions. That made me believe he has the potential to be a good manager."