Tommy Smith on LFC: Stewart Downing has the talent to blossom in a key role for Reds

Jan 21 2012 Liverpool Echo

AFTER all the attention on Andy Carroll, it seems it’s Stewart Downing’s turn for a spell in the spotlight.

Kenny Dalglish’s ringing endorsement today of the lad’s natural ability should give him a major boost. His manager believes in him – despite the doubters popping up – and that matters far more than anything else.

I too believe Downing has all it takes to go on and be a success. But it hasn’t really happened for him yet. For me, he needs a strong message to simply concentrate on what he does best – and just do it.

He’s a winger – and we need him to try and be to us what Ian Callaghan and Peter Thompson were in the sixties, what Stevie Heighway was in the 70s, and what John Barnes was in the 80s and 90s. In other words, wide players who love to get to the byline and do the damage from there, with crosses, shots, dribbles and passes.

Dowing has been used in other positions at times and if we can just get him settled down in his role and believing in himself a bit more, he can yet prove his doubters wrong.

It’s important he does.

He’s only one of eleven to be fair. But his is a key position for me.

He has all the attributes - as he showed at Villa - to still become a big hit at Anfield under Kenny Dalglish.