Ian Rush and John Barnes want Kenny Dalglish to remain at Liverpool

Dalglish has enjoyed a relatively successful start to life at Anfield (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Liverpool stars Ian Rush and John Barnes believe Kenny Dalglish should be offered a permanent deal at the Merseyside club after reviving the Reds' season.

The 60-year-old Scot has engineered Liverpool's rise from just outside the relegation zone to sixth place after taking over from Roy Hodgson in early January.

And Dalglish, often regarded as Liverpool's greatest ever player, has won the support of the fans, which Rush believes is key in creating success at Anfield.

"I think everyone that knows Kenny knows what he's all about. His philosophy is no one is bigger than the club and it's a privilege to play for the club," Rush said at the launch of Hyundai's new Boot Shoot iPhone application.

"One thing's for certain, the supporters love him and they want him [to get a long-term contract], the players are playing as if they respect him and they want him to get it so yeah, hopefully he will be there this time next year but Kenny will only do what is best for the club.

"I think Kenny does take one game at a time and as long as [Liverpool] keep on winning his case will strengthen."

And Barnes echoed the sentiments of his former team-mate.

"The fans love him," he said, "You can see the reaction of the players because of the reaction of the fans to Kenny.

"Then of course there is the quality he has in man management in terms of organisation and the way he wants to play.

"The euphoria of Kenny being there gives him an advantage. Liverpool and Kenny are a match made in heaven.

"I'm not the owner but I think Kenny should be given the job in terms of what he's achieved."

And that achievement has seen Liverpool accrue 20 points from the 10 Barclays Premier League matches where Dalglish has been in temporary charge along with the signing of a potentially great new strike partnership.

Dalglish captured England centre-forward Andy Carroll in the January transfer window to partner Luis Suarez who joined the Reds from Ajax in the same month.

Rush, who forged a prolific strike partnership with Dalglish in the 1980s, believes Carroll and Suarez will develop into an equally fearsome prospect by next season.

"I think it will be [a great partnership] but it needs time to develop. I think they need a good pre-season together, all practice games and next year I think you'll be seeing the best of them.

"They're two completely different players and they give you different options. Carroll is not 100% fit yet but I think his partnership with Suarez can only get better and better.

"I think we're looking to the future not the present, and in Carroll and Suarez Kenny is looking to the future as well."

However, Barnes was quick to warn fans not to get too carried away with Liverpool's revival unless owner John W Henry makes funds available to whoever is finally put in charge.

"Kenny's had a fantastic start but now they have to build on that," Barnes said.

"The only way to build on that is to invest in the club to get better players, a better squad, a bigger squad, because I don't want the fans all of a sudden to look at this season and think next year we're going to win the league.

"We can win the league if there's investment but if that doesn't happen and we see Manchester City threatening, Chelsea threatening, Liverpool will then maximise the full potential of the squad to finish in the top five.

"We want to push on, and for us to push on, even with Kenny, we still need more investment in the club to get better players."