The captain believes he can play in a number of different positions but admits the deep-lying midfield approach is a change from his usual box-to-box style of play

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is confident of making a success of the new defensive midfield role assigned to him by manager Brendan Rodgers.

The England skipper took up the new position in the league games against Stoke and Aston Villa and although the Reds collected four points, they also conceded five goals.

Gerrard then impressed in the 4-0 thrashing of Everton, however, and despite having played in a more attacking role for much of his career, insists he is capable of contributing from a deeper position.

“Previously, I’ve been trying to get from box to box,” he told the club’s official website. “But the new role is more about control and organising the people in front of me.

“It’s a different position to the one that I’ve played for the last 12 or 15 years. I know that with time and work on the training pitch, I can get it right because I believe I can play in a number of positions.”

The 33-year-old expressed his delight at the nature of the Reds’ Merseyside derby victory over Everton and believes Roberto Martinez’s team were lucky to escape having conceded only four goals.

“I’ve got to be honest; I thought it was going to be a really cagey affair,” he admitted. “I thought maybe one goal either way would have decided it. But the way we played, I thought it could have been even more.”