Garth Crooks has praised Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand's execution against Liverpool on Sunday and said the Reds ought to "pay whatever it takes" to sign the left-back this summer.
James Milner missed a second-half penalty as Liverpool's expectations of securing a Premier League top four spots endured a slip in a goalless draw against Southampton.
Jurgen Klopp's side once in a while tried goalkeeper Fraser Forster, yet the England international had to be wide-awake to deny Milner from the spot and furthermore a Marko Grujic goal-bound header later on.
An essential part of the point Southampton earned was the performance of Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Cedric Soares and especially Bertrand.
The 27-year-old put in a strong execution at the left-back and Garth Crooks was full of praise for the ex-Chelsea defender after the game, asking Liverpool to sign him at the end of the season.
“This lad has become a top-class performer,” Crooks told BBC Sport. "To watch his improvement at Southampton has been a genuine delight. We as a whole realized that he was a player as a youngster at Chelsea – the question was: What kind of player?
"He demonstrated maturity above his age when he amazed all of us and performed so well in the 2012 Champions League final in Munich, yet everything appeared to come too early.
"Since leaving Stamford Bridge, he has turned into the ace of his own fate and looks more accomplished the more I see him. Against Liverpool, who seemed to get edgier consistently, Bertrand look formed and in charge.
"Notwithstanding when he got his yellow card for kicking the ball away he knew exactly what he was doing; preventing the ball from re-entering the field of play before the Saints could reassemble. He took a booking for the team.
"Even if Liverpool qualify for Champions League next season I genuinely recommend Jurgen Klopp gets his checkbook out and pay whatever it takes to take Bertrand to Anfield. The player is in that class."
Bertrand got through Gillingham's Academy as a youngster, before he then joined Chelsea's youth team in 2005.
Eventually, a lack of game time forced him to proceed onward, yet he has been linked with a move back, while Liverpool has also been tipped to snap him up.
