Barnes, the last Liverpool player to win the award in 1990, believes the Anfield skipper is a worthy winner of the award for his all-action performances at the heart of the Reds' engine room.
“Liverpool have improved dramatically this season and Steven has been at the very heart of that so congratulations to him as his form deserved to be recognised," he said.
“Steven is a team player, a leader in every sense with his goals, performances and selfless work for the team.
“He has played a big part in Liverpool’s resurgence and will be driving the team forward again next season as my old club continues to close the gap on Manchester United.”
“The players who usually pick up this award play for the teams who generally win the league so not only is this a testament to Steven’s performances over the season, it is also a testament to the Liverpool players around him," said Barnes.
“This is the closest that my old club have come to winning the title for a number of years and this is another sign that they are getting closer to doing just that."
This means players are 10 times more likely to win a prize than ever before! To play Premier 10 visit www.footballpools.com
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