On the eve of Steven Gerrard’s 600th appearance for Liverpool Football Club, we thought it would be fitting to pay tribute to our own Captain Fantastic. Steven Gerrard has become an Icon at Liverpool Football Club. An inspirational captain, a player who only comes once in a generation, someone who can single handedly take a game by the scruff of its neck. Liverpool’s number 8 has won every trophy bar the Premier League, and on the way he has scored 157 goals for his boyhood team. Steven Gerrard has held been in high esteem by fellow professionals and over the years, each footballing great has expressed their opinion on Liverpool’s favourite son. Here’s what some of them had to say…. Pele (2006) ”Sometimes you have a player like Gerrard. For me, for the last five years Gerrard has been the best player in the world. “He is a midfielder, he plays very good. People didn’t mention Gerrard, now they mention Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Messi because they are forwards.” Zinedine Zidane (2009) “Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of [Lionel] Messi and Ronaldo but, yes, I think he just might be. “If you don’t have a player like Steven Gerrard, who is the engine room, it can affect the whole team. “He has great passing ability, can tackle and scores goals, but most importantly he gives the players around him confidence and belief. You can’t learn that, players like him are just born with that presence.” Ronaldinho (2007) ‘For me, in the position he plays, he is one of the very best in the world. For the job he performs, for me he is one of the greatest.’ Thierry Henry (2008) “Whenever you play Liverpool you know you have to get him out of the game. If not, it’s all over for you. “He’s a midfielder and if you look at all the important goals he’s scored, well I can’t even think of a striker in the world who has scored as many important goals, never mind a midfielder. How many times has he done it in the dying seconds of a game? I am trying to think of a striker now who does it – there aren’t any. Think about it. “For me, and I have always said this, he will be regarded as one of the greatest midfielders ever when he finishes his career. No doubt.” Kaka (2009) Speaking to the Four-Four –Two magazine on who he thought the best player in the world Kaka replied: “That’s a difficult question, if I had to choose three, I would pick Cristiano Ronaldo, because of his skill and speed, Messi, because of his flair and skills, and Steven Gerrard, who for me is the complete modern player.” Gerrard Houiller (2012) ‘Stevie is Liverpool.’ Kenny Dalglish (2012) “…he has certainly made a huge contribution to the club but he wouldn’t be far away from being mentioned as the best player. It is not just what he does in and around the first team, it is what he stands for the football club as well – which is more important. His standing within the community is fantastic and the way he does other work happily is a great testimony to himself as well.” Brendan Rodgers (2012) “He dons his Superman cape, comes on and changes the whole dynamic of the game. That is what great players do and this is one of the modern greats of the game.”
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:44:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015