Jonjo Shelvey in awe of "great role model" Steven Gerrard

Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has hailed England captain Steven Gerrard as "a great role model".

Shelvey plays alongside Gerrard at Anfield and wants to follow in the footsteps of the 32-year-old.

"Stevie is a great role model," the Daily Mail quotes the 20-year-old as saying. "He's been doing it for club and country for years.

"The way he plays is fantastic and to have him as my captain is immense."

"He leads by example. It's those times when we have been searching for a crucial goal and he's dug in to get us out of difficulty."

Gerrard will be in action for England when they host Ukraine at London's Wembley Stadium for their second game of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.