Rodwell scored his first goal for the Toffees in the FA Cup win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
“Sometimes he’s nearly horizontal he’s that laid back,” he said in the Liverpool Echo. “He’s a real good boy, he wants to improve and he’s got a great manner in the way he goes about his job.
“You can see that in his play. He’s the sort of player that many teams were all looking for and he’s young and has quite a bit to go in his development.
“He’s comfortable on the ball and I think central midfield is where he’s best but maybe by the time he’s 23 or 24 he may be a top centre-half.
“I don’t know how Rio Ferdinand started his career but I think he started as a central midfield player and eventually moved back. He has a lot of similar qualities.”
