STEVEN Gerrard faced his namesake Davis on enough occasions during his own playing career with both Liverpool and England to understand exactly what kind of footballer he was getting when he took the Northern Ireland internationalist back to Rangers in January.

Yet, he admits the central midfielder’s outstanding performances this season – which were typified by his dominant display in the 1-1 draw with Porto in the Estadio do Dragao in Portugal on Thursday night – have taken even him aback.

Gerrard believes the 113-times capped player is, despite the fact he is rapidly approaching his 35th birthday, currently producing the best football of his life. What is more, he can only see his rich vein of form continuing.

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“We were speaking about it as a staff on Thursday night,” he said. “Looking back over his career, Steven’s had some real strong international performances and played in the Premier League.

“But he must have been so proud of himself on Thursday, to go to a stadium like that, a stage like that, against a team who were in the last eight of the Champions League last year with the name and reputation of Porto and play so well. To run the game at 34 years of age, especially in the second half, he should be almighty proud of himself.

“I had no doubts about his quality because I’d played against him on numerous occasions, watched him for over a decade and spoken to many people about his character. He’s the total, ultimate professional. I had no doubts he could come here and do well, but he’s surprised me in terms of how robust he is, how available he’s been.”

Davis struggled to perform at his very best when he first arrived in Glasgow, initially on loan, from Southampton. He had only featured in five first team games for the St Mary’s Stadium club in the first half of the 2018/19 season and it showed. But hard work in the gym and on the training ground, increased game time and a full and frank exchange of views with his manager has seen him overcome that rocky patch and then some.

“At first he came and wasn’t match fit,” said Gerrard. “It was similar to (Jermain) Defoe, where you’ve missed so much football you haven’t really got that match sharpness. You feel a yard off and you look a yard off.

“But with games and hard work and pushing himself he’s in terrific form. I’ve seen him in similar veins of form, but this must be right up there with the strongest he’s provided throughout his career.

“He knew himself he needed more game time and needed to push himself. We had to have that honest conversation, but we had no doubt we could get him to where he was. That was the reason why we acted so quickly to get him in, and we always knew it was going to follow on into this season as well. That was in the original plan.”

Gerrard can only see Davis, despite his advancing years, getting better. “I have no doubt that he’ll still be doing this in a year’s time, because he’s in fantastic shape,” he said. “He carries no body fat and his weight is as consistent as you’d want it.

“He does everything he can around the place in his preparation to be robust. Age, for me, is just a number. You can see that in Defoe and Davis. I don’t look at their age, I just judge them on what I see and that’s the reason why they’ve both played a big part.

“I try and be honest across the board with all the players. If they’re flying, like on Thursday night, you look at Davo in the eye and say, ‘wow, you absolutely ran that game. You were sensational’. That’s what I believe and what I’ve seen with my own eyes.

“If I see Steven Davis a yard off or maybe not himself, I sit him down and say, ‘what do we need to do? Do you need any support or extras? Because this is what I’m seeing’. That’s how we deal with all the players. We speak to them, we have that communication.

“At times you’ve got to say to a player, ‘you might not want to hear this, but this is what I feel.’ Sometimes that’s the little bit of provocation you need for them to get that extra yard in the game.”

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Gerrard was pleased with how Ryan Kent, the winger he signed from Liverpool for £7 million at the start of September, fared as he made his return from a hamstring injury in the Europa League match with Porto this week. He feels there is much more to come from his countryman, too, in the weeks and months ahead. He certainly has no concerns his hefty price tag will hinder his most expensive signing.

“He’s a confident boy,” he said. “You see the tattoos, you see the bowl (haircut). Ryan underneath it is just a nice guy. He’s a quite kid, quite reserved. But he’s a great kid, loves a little bit of banter.

“I don’t think the transfer fee has given him any more arrogance or swagger. But the transfer fee won’t be on his mind, won’t faze him. You saw it on Thursday night, that’s his stage.

“He’s not ready yet in terms of being 100 per cent match fit and firing and being totally sharp to where we’ve all seen him. That’s probably a few weeks away, two or three games away. But if he can perform to that level when still only 80 or 90 per cent sharp then I am really looking forward him over the next couple of years.

“I like players to back themselves, I like swagger in the right way. My concern for me on Thursday was maybe for certain players or for the few of us it might have been too big for us, that we didn’t have that confidence and belief to back ourselves when we regain the ball.

“The most pleasing thing for me is looking at the performance individually and collectively, the players believed that was their level. And they could reach that level and be more than a match for a good opposition. That’s a real positive to move forward with.

“Ryan will never lack that. It doesn’t matter if Ryan is playing in a friendly match in pre-season or playing in front of 50,000 against a champions team. Ryan Kent will back himself.”

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Meanwhile, Gerrard has backed Rangers to qualify for the last 32 of the Europa League this season if they can reproduce their performance in their 1-1 draw with Porto away on Thursday night in their remaining three Group G games.

The Glasgow club have a rematch against Porto at home and another meeting with Feyenoord away next month and then a final showdown with Young Boys in Glasgow in December.

“That level on Thursday night gets us out the group, in my opinion,” said Gerrard. “So that’s the level I am looking for in the final three games.

“If we find that at Feyenoord (in the Netherlands at the end of next month) then I believe we will take something from that game, which will be a big positive.

“And if we can find the Feyenoord performance or something close to Thursday night at home then I think we will make it really uncomfortable for the two opponents who’ve still got to come to Ibrox.

“Especially if the weather is nice and cold and the rain is coming in at a nice angle and the wind is swirling it will be an interesting night for Young Boys and Porto. Those will be two nights I am really looking forward to.”

Gerrard, whose team take on Motherwell in the Ladbrokes Premiership at Ibrox this afternoon, stressed he and his players will be striving to better their display against Porto in their last three Group G matches.

“I would take that level,” he said. “Of course, we can still look to improve. If you really analyse it closely we still made some mistakes in the game. But I don’t think you’re ever going to get perfection.”