Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmarr Hamann has tipped Joe Allen to become a major star for the club in the coming years despite a difficult first season at Anfield.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers was desperate to bring the midfielder with him when he left Swansea and was keen to talk about the potential the Wales international possessed.

Allen had excelled for Swansea and had consistently demonstrated his ability to control a game from the heart of the pitch with his impressive range of short passing and excellent control.

Joe Allen
Joe Allen impressed for Liverpool at the start of the season but struggled to keep his place in the second half of the campaign. [Reuters]

He excelled for Liverpool in the early months of the season but the club struggled at the wrong end of the table and he was soon disposed of his place in the side after Lucas Leiva returned from injury.

A loss of form and injuries curtailed his progress but Hamann believes he showed enough in his first season to prove that he can be a major player for the club in years to come.

"It's a big step up when you go from Swansea to Liverpool but he had a fantastic start," Hamann told the official Liverpool website.

"He was absolutely outstanding for the first few months then he missed a couple of games, Lucas has come back in the team - who missed the early parts of the season through injury - and then he found it hard to get back into the team.

"But I think for the first year he's done ever so well and you've got to give him time, he's only young. He showed his potential, if anything he'll only get better and I think there's a lot to look forward to."

Hamann, who become a cult hero on Merseyside during his seven years at Liverpool, believes that Allen must also continue to work on his game in order to make sure that he can play in almopst any position across the midfield.

"If he adds skills to his game then I think he can play in various positions in the centre of midfield because he's a clever player, he's a very good passer of the ball, he spots danger and he's a team player," added Hamann.

"Now he needs to crack on and take his game to the next level, not only for Liverpool but also for Wales.

"He's at a top club now, he will have gained a lot of experience from that and I hope he can put that to good use for his club and country. I think you will see a lot more from him in the future because he is a terrific player."