In this week's Talking Reds column, Simon Steers assesses the impact that Steven Gerrard has had on Liverpool this season.

If there has been one player this season that has led the collective hunger of the Liverpool squad to succeed, it is Steven Gerrard. At 33 years old, our captain is in the prime of his career, but has been in brilliant form during our charge to the top of the Barclays Premier League table.

Since being deployed in a new role anchoring the midfield, Gerrard has once again reinvented himself to become a deep-lying playmaker, using his range of passing to devastating effect. Even from a deeper role, Gerrard has still made a significant contribution to our attacking play this season.

The 'playmaker'

Brendan Rodgers recently said that Gerrard had become one of Europe's leading controlling midfielders, and it's difficult to argue with his assessment. There are few footballers in the world that can be the best player on the pitch in a number of positions, but Gerrard is one of those players.

During his career at Liverpool, he has played right-back, central midfield, right midfield and as a second striker. In each of these roles he has proven his world-class credentials.

It was the vision of Rodgers to drop Gerrard into a deeper role that has very much been a catalyst to our incredible run of form. In 16 games this calendar year, we have won 14 and drawn only two, and Gerrard has played in this new role for the vast majority of those games.

It is Gerrard's vision that has helped him settle into the new role; he has always been one of the best in the world at knowing the right ball to play. This season he has a pass accuracy rate of 86 per cent, with an average pass of 22m, and has created 56 chances (statistics via Squawka).

This new role is getting the very best out of Gerrard without blunting his attacking threat.

Big moments

It isn't just Gerrard's contribution during games that has been impressive; it is his ice-cool mentality in the big moments in games. The penalty at Fulham, the three penalties at Old Trafford (only two were scored, of course, but they were the big two), the free-kick against Sunderland, the penalties against West Ham. All of these incidents were at key moments, yet Gerrard has coolly delivered when it has really mattered.

That's one of the defining things about Gerrard - his ability to deliver when it is needed the most. You think back to Olympiacos, Istanbul, and the FA Cup final against West Ham, throughout his career he has always been there to take responsibility. He has been a giant for us when we have really needed him, and he has risen to the challenge again this season.

It is that mentality that marks him out as being truly world-class. That is often a term that is too easily bandied around in the game, but it is when the pressure is really on that world-class players rise to the challenge.

Hunger

As the season has gone on, Gerrard's hunger has become a defining part of our journey. You can sense how happy he is on the pitch and the belief he has in his teammates and manager. He is probably at the most content point in his career; that will be partly to do with maturity, but also because he feels part of something special.

Gerrard is a natural-born leader, he inspires those around him, not just because he is a world-class footballer, but because he leaves nothing on the pitch, and he expects that same commitment from those around him.

He has a group of players around him that are on his wavelength. If you think back to that ridiculous (in a good way) pass against Fulham to Daniel Sturridge, the finish was befitting of the pass. Gerrard knows that in Luis Suarez he is playing with one of the world's great talents; it is shining through in his comments and how he is approaching every game.

You only have to look at Gerrard's reactions to see how much every win means to him - and that is inspiring his teammates.

'We go again'

We saw the TV cameras capture a great moment with Gerrard and his teammates at the end of the win against Manchester City, but in some ways, it almost felt intrusive. The game and day was emotional for everybody, and especially so for Gerrard given the tragic loss of his cousin, Jon-Paul, at Hillsborough.

But what Gerrard's reaction did show the world is what Liverpool Football Club and success means to him. His post-match huddle with his teammates was an intended private moment between a team that have total belief in each other, and the message was clear.

The unity of this team is something that money cannot buy; both Gerrard and Rodgers deserve huge credit for building that sense of an 'all in it together' mentality. We have already achieved our primary objective this season of a return to the Champions League, and anything else we dream to achieve between now and the end of the season will be because the players are following Gerrard in giving absolutely everything for the cause.

If there was one word I could use to describe Steven Gerrard, it would be 'inspiration'. He has been peerless this season in a new role, and has led by example in our charge to the top of the league.

Whatever happens for the rest of this season, it's been an incredible journey.