Former Liverpool captain Alan Hansen believes keeping Steven Gerrard at Anfield is crucial to the club's aspirations of success.
The Reds midfielder is desperate to win the Premier League with his hometown club but another disappointing season has only increased speculation he may look for a new challenge as he turns 30 in May.
Midweek reports in Italy suggested Inter Milan were preparing a bid of £28million plus striker Mario Balotelli but it remains to be seen if that ever gets off the ground.
Leaving Liverpool would be a huge wrench for Gerrard, while Inter manager Jose Mourinho has hardly committed his long-term future to the club by stating this week he does not like Italian football. Hansen insists holding on to the England midfielder represents the Merseysiders' best chance of success in the near future.
"Liverpool supporters love him, he is part of the place. If he doesn't play there is something missing," said the Scot, who won eight league titles and three European Cups with the club.
"It is just great to have players of the quality of Fernando Torres and Gerrard in the team because with those two in the team Liverpool can beat anyone."
Gerrard admitted last weekend he had failed to reach his own high standards this season. Hansen said the fact he was prepared to face up to criticism spoke volumes about the type of person and player Gerrard is.
"If you have played the way Gerrard has played the last seven or eight years at Liverpool - where the level of performance has been as good as anyone I have seen at the club - and don't reach those massive standards then he is the type of player that will be self-critical," he added. "There is no doubt he has not played as well this season as in previous years.
"That's great he can look at himself and say that. It is a measure of the man. Having rediscovered some form to play an important role in last Sunday's 3-0 victory over Sunderland Gerrard will need to lift his side again at Birmingham tomorrow."
Thursday's Europa League defeat to Benfica in Lisbon, in which Liverpool played with 10 men for an hour after Ryan Babel's dismissal, highlighted the team's fighting qualities. Manager Rafael Benitez hopes to be able to use the positives from that match against Blues.
"The commitment of the players was really good and, okay, we made some mistakes but we have to be positive and think about the next game," said the Spaniard.
