Jonjo Shelvey has said that facing Steven Gerrard for the first time will be "a bit mad".
The former Liverpool player, who joined Swansea City in the summer, will face the Anfield captain when Brendan Rodgers's side travel to the Liberty Stadium on Monday evening.
The 21-year-old told Sky Sports News: "It will be a bit mad facing him as I was living next door to him in Liverpool. But I always said I wanted to play with him and against him before he retired, because if you play against him you can really judge yourself on where you are as a player.
"For me he has been the best player in this country for God knows how long, he is the complete midfield player.
"Liverpool won the League Cup when I was there but I did not make the bench, and you feel like you are not there, even though you are happy and you get a medal, you feel like you are not part of it. I want to be part of something at Swansea."
Swansea paid a £5m transfer fee for the midfielder.
Sian Cowper
