Steven Gerrard has advised the younger generation of Liverpool players that they need to be "obsessed" with the club in order to have a chance of making it into the first team.

The retired midfielder knows first hand the work that is involved in making it at the top level, having come through the Reds academy and going on to make 710 appearances.

Now, Gerrard is on the other side, preparing to coach the Merseyside outfit's Under-18s this season.

"There's a lot of talent, a lot of talent, but I've said it before and I'll say it again - to play for Liverpool's first team, you've got to be world class," he told the club's official website.

"You've got to be world class every day; the values of our club will never change, so I am not going to come in and try and change any of the values.

"It'll be more of the same, but trying to tell them that every single day you've got to be obsessed to play for Liverpool's first team."

Gerrard made his first-team debut at the age of 18.