Listen to How Football Legends Praise Steven Gerrard ᴴᴰ

Is he the best in the world? You might not get the attention of Messi and Ronaldo, but yes, I think he just might be. 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. If I'm going into a game tomorrow, I'd have Gerrard as my number one pick. I'm picking Gerrard. He does stuff where he just makes you go, wow. Like, changes the whole dynamics of a football match. I always said he was one of the players that I would have loved to play with. I tried to bring him to Chelsea. I tried to bring him to Inter. I tried to bring him to Real Madrid. He refused to play for other big clubs. He refused to play in other big leagues. To play only for Liverpool. For me, he is Liverpool. I've always said my toughest opponent in the Premier League was TVG. Oh my God, quick, technically very good, strong, powerful. He can tackle as well. For me, TVG was very, very difficult to play against. And he knew how to find the space just in between you and the defenders. Yeah, for me, it's TVG. He was the guy. He was physically strong and I'm physically strong as well. I know I can get people off the ball, but he was that guy. I just couldn't get him off the ball and he knew how to find space behind me. You think you had him and he's gone. Because he was so quick as well. It's so difficult. Once you lose him, you know, you guys are in trouble. He was a force and we had great battles. I had a lot of respect for him as a player. And I think Stevie has to give complete respect for us in a drill ground. The impact, what it did, how he used to transcend people. You know, the energy, the aura. When he was on, even when he wasn't on, he used to try to find a way to motivate people, to get the crowd behind him, to get players that maybe you would thought that were not that great. Suddenly, because he talked or because he tackled someone or because he smashed the ball from 35 yards and the ball in the top corner, everyone's like, we follow this guy. We will follow this guy. He was probably the best single player of his era. I just felt that he could do everything. He could run. He could tackle. He could score goals. He could head the ball. He could defend. He could do everything. You put him in any position on the football pitch and he would be the man. I could speak all day about Stevie. I always say everything he did was so aggressive. Like he's passing, he's running, tackling, heading. Everything he did was just so aggressive and explosive. He was definitely one that could just dictate a whole game. He could score goals. He could create goals. He could probably play as a six. He could play as an eight. He could play as a ten. He could play as a number nine. He could probably play here because he could tackle as well. But yeah, on his day, he was players at their peak. If you're playing against Steven Gerrard, then good luck. Was he the best player you've played with? By far. He's not even close, is he? When we trained with England, he was by far the best player in training every day. Alex Ferguson tried to sign him and so did Jose Mourinho. I can play captain of that team. The best player I play with. I say it many times, but he's the player that completes my game. Steven Gerrard is an utter, utter animal. He is so big, so strong. He's got such big levers. He's aggressive. He's the best header of the ball. He's fast. He's strong. He could play right back and be the best player in the Premier League. He could play left wing and be the best player in the Premier League. He can score goals. He's got vision. He can put a ball on a sixpence. He's just too big, too fast. He's just too good. I learn with my players and I learn with my best opponents. With the problems they give me and the way they make me think and the way they make me analyse them and study the best way to play against them. Steven Gerrard is for sure one of my favourite enemies. For sure the one that made me a better manager. To stop him or to try to stop him is being very, very difficult. Hello Steve. Just to say it was a pleasure to play with you many years when we played Manchester against Liverpool. You are a fantastic player. I wish you all the best for your life.