When asked during a Twitter Q&A who his best-ever midfield opponent was, the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder names none other than Stevie G.
He replied: “Steven Gerrard. If I have to say one – and I really enjoyed playing against – I would say Steven Gerrard.
“He was physically the most difficult opponent to handle. He was the box-to-box player, he could be on his right or left, shooting from the outside of his boot. He was a machine.”
Liverpool fans have never been blind to Gerrard’s greatest. He dragged the club to a number of trophies with legendary performances against AC Milan and West Ham in the Champions League and FA Cup finals respectively.
The Scouser also scored 186 goals from midfield while assisting 150 more in 710 games and most impressively, he did so without playing in a team with the overall quality of Jurgen Klopp’s current side.
It explains why he never won a Premier League title despite coming close on a couple of occasions but ultimately, his loyalty to the club puts him on a level other Premier League midfielders cannot match.
Gerrard had it all. He was explosive in his younger days, controlled and measured in his latter days and he always had a rocket in his pocket, giving him the ability to score pile drivers from well over 25 yards.
Despite that, he also had the technique and vision to play stunning assists and his pass to Daniel Sturridge against Fulham in the Premier League still stands out as his most exceptional pass.
Now, he’s back in England’s top division but this time as a manager and will return to Anfield soon as Aston Villas boss and when he does, he’ll surely be greeted with an incredible reception as he is still, in the eyes of many, the greatest player to have set foot in Anfield.
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