And Rodgers’s former captain reckons his old boss has the talent to manage any club on the planet.
Monk is quick to point out that Rodgers, who arrived at Swansea in 2010 having failed to get interviews for jobs in League One, has already done rather well for himself.
The Ulsterman’s reputation had been tarnished by a brief, unhappy stint at Reading which ended in the sack.
But his spell as Swansea manager was one long success story.
In his first season at the helm, Rodgers led the club into the Premier League.
In his second, he made all the pundits look silly by keeping Swansea in the top division with something to spare.
And Monk saw enough in his time working under Rodgers to believe that he could run any one of the top clubs.
Manchester City and Barcelona have both been touted as potential Rodgers suitors on the back of the impressive work he has done at Anfield.
And Monk says: “Brendan can manage at the top, for sure.
“He has got the knowledge, know-how and capabilities in man-management. He’s got the package to do it at the elite of Europe. Whether that’s an ambition he has at Liverpool — which I’m sure it is — or whether it is an ambition in the future to be part of the elite of the elite, I’m not sure.
“But I am sure he wants to take Liverpool to those heights again.”
There were various factors behind Rodgers’s Swansea success story.
For the most part his record in the transfer market was excellent, while his training sessions were loved by the players and his depth of knowledge was clear.
On top of that, his personality meant his squad were ready to fight for him.
Monk recalls how Rodgers “pushed and pushed himself” each time he came into work, even during a difficult period in his private life.
“I can’t really remember him having an off-day in terms of enthusiasm and his detail,” Monk adds.
“He had some hard times personally when he was here, but he never showed that to the players at all.
“He was very professional and very approachable, and I don’t see that ever changing.”
For all his qualities, Rodgers has not had an easy ride on Merseyside.
His first season was something of a battle, with some of his signings failing to deliver as inconsistency too often troubled the Reds.
Then came last year’s unexpected title near-miss, when the lethal combination of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge almost fired Liverpool to a first championship since 1990.
Suarez’s summer switch to Barcelona left Rodgers with a major rebuilding job on his hands, and his task has not been helped by Sturridge’s injury troubles this term.
With Liverpool struggling, there was a time earlier in the campaign when doubts reigned about Rodgers’s future.
But Monk insists: “I never feared for him.
“Brendan’s a top manager who has done exceptionally well. He was great for us, moved on to Liverpool and nearly won the league last season.
“He has now turned things around this season and they’re finishing strong again.
“I’ve spoken to him about it and the pressure at the bigger clubs is constant. It’s greater because of the money involved, where those clubs should be and the expectations of the fans and the owners.
“But I think he handles it very well.
“The transition after last season was never going to be easy.
“They lost Suarez, and just missing out on the title the way they did will knock confidence when players have come that close to winning it after so long at that club.
“It does take time to get that confidence back into the players, but he’s done that.”
If there were doubts about the direction in which Liverpool were heading earlier this season, they have been replaced by optimism now.
Rodgers’s men have been on the charge since wobbling through November, with just one league defeat coming since then.
They are unbeaten in their last 12 top-flight games and, as a result, are only two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United heading into the weekend’s fixtures.
A change of formation has been a factor in Liverpool’s improvement, as has the increased influence of some of the many new faces they signed following Suarez’s exit.
“They had quite an influx of players in the summer and it’s about figuring out how those players best suit the formation and style of play Brendan wants to go with,” Monk adds.
“I think it took a little bit of time to figure that out and Brendan has now found a system which suits the players he’s got at the club.
“They seem comfortable with it and they’re doing well with it. All credit to Brendan for having the bravery to change it to something the players probably weren’t used to.
“They did it in a period where it could have been a risk, but it has paid dividends.”
So much so that it will be a major shock if the Liverpool juggernaut is slowed in Swansea.
Monk’s men have had some fine results against the top clubs this season, and the Reds are yet to win at the Liberty.
Even so, Swansea will begin as underdogs.
“They are the most in-form team and it will be very difficult for us,” Monk concedes.
“They are an attacking team, very progressive, and they have done well since the turn of the year.
“They are after that top four and they are fighting for their reasons – but we are fighting for ours.
“Every game is massive for us and we want to show that with our performance on Monday night.
source:sothwales-eveningpost.co.uk