After initially been made to wait for a chance in the first-team the Switzerland international has contributed to five goals in his last six games - but his attacking influence and ability on the ball has set tongues wagging around Anfield.
Now, his former manager Thorsten Fink claims the stocky attacker, who was seemingly headed for a nomadic career - looks to be finally unlocking the potential he displayed during his teenage years back at the Swiss giants.
"Cristiano Ronaldo, he worked for what he achieved," Fink told ESPN FC. "But Messi, he had it.
"He didn't have to work for this talent. Ronaldo must work for this -- work with this body, work with everything. For me, Messi has this talent. That's also for Shaqiri.
"He has this talent to play. If he works very professionally, he can be the best player for Liverpool, not only a player. Every time the aim must to be better and make the next step.
"If you play for Liverpool not every week, it cannot be enough for him. His aim must be to play every week."
Fink went onto describe the talent he witnessed after Shaqiri graduated from the club's academy back in 2009, before his lucrative switch to Bayern Munich in 2012.
"He's smart and it was pleasure to work with him," Fink said. "He played very well as a left-back. I thought he was the best left-back I saw after Roberto Carlos. But every time his aim was to play forward.
"He was very creative. He did things what you were not aware [he could do]. Sometimes he plays passes in deep, he shoots very well. He could cross very well, his ball control was very good. He had everything what you need for a perfect player. He was explosive.
"My aim was for him to be more professional. He was professional, but there were small things what I wanted to give the player on his way to be one of the best players, to play for Liverpool or Bayern Munich.
"Everything [is there] for the perfect footballer. The only thing is: 'Can you make the next step, Xherdan?'.
"If you want to play for Liverpool or Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Man United, and you want to play every time -- not just be the man who sits on the bench -- you need more professionalism."