The West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has compared the midfielder Kevin Nolan with the Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard by saying that he is as influential as the England international is to Liverpool. Steven Gerrard has been one of the influential players for Liverpool over the past decade. The 32-year-old midfielder is known for his surging runs and he has often helped Liverpool to come back from dire situations. Allardyce has compared the leadership qualities of the Liverpool midfielder to those of the West Ham midfielder Kevin Nolan. Allardyce was instrumental in bringing the former Newcastle midfielder to Upton Park when he took over at the club last season.

Kevin Nolan was one of the important players for the club as they returned to the top flight in the first instance. He has also been a major influence at the club after they have climbed up to the top half of the table this season. This has led to comparisons with Steven Gerrard. Nolan also plays in the same position as Steven Gerrard – just behind the striker. He has been able to get numerous goals as well playing in this position. However, he is more than just scoring goals according to the manager Allardyce.

“In terms of handling the captaincy he is very similar to Gerrard. He brings an awful lot more to this team and this club than just being a good, goalscoring midfield player. He’s good in the dressing room. He’s good at creating a good environment and he’s strong enough to weed out the possible troublemakers. And the consistency he has always produced in the Premier League has proven that if you want that type of player to play for England, then he is good enough,” said Allardyce. West Ham recently lost 3-2 in a match against Liverpool.