Steven Gerrard Quotes (1980-)

“, I've played with some great Man United players, Liverpool players, Real Madrid, England.” “Put it this way. If i'm saying tomorrow rewind the clock, you're going into battle now, you're playing in the Champions League final, who's your first pick? I'd have Steven Gerrard as my first pick out of anyone.” https://www.sportbible.com/football/legends-michael-owens-view-on-the-scholes-gerrard-lampard-debate-20200604.amp.html https://open.spotify.com/episode/46rbFX9kENLmY8x9d7HThA?si=uYLfxdKeTa62KkcT4rWhjg&nd=1&nd=1 Michael Owen on the Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard Debate. Interviewed by Jamie Carragher on “The Greatest Game” podcast. (June 2020) ”Steven could do absolutely everything on a football pitch. He was quick, he was strong, he was physical, he could score goals and he could make goals.“ https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/paul-scholes-gives-verdict-steven-22024784.amp Paul Scholes on Steven Gerrard (May 2020) "Steven can do anything, he's in the Vieira mould, where he can sit and hold the ball, spray it about and score goals as well," said the United star "If there are any weaknesses to his game I've not seen them. Every time I play with him for England I realise what a great player he is. "And he does it week in, week out for Liverpool." https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/2299868/scholes-gerrards-got-the-lot Paul Scholes on Steven Gerrard (2004) Francesco Totti was asked "Who is the best English player you faced during your career?" He replied "Steven Gerrard. A champion! An example" Francesco Totti http://www.squawka.com/news/liverpools-champion-steven-gerrard-was-my-toughest-ever-english-opponent-francesco-totti/939426#K0zGLbYm48og1vz3.97 “Personally, I think Gerrard is England’s greatest ever player. I wish him a happy retirement" Lionel Messi on Steven Gerrard: http://www.empireofthekop.com/2016/11/25/lionel-messi-makes-brilliantly-bold-statement-about-steven-gerrard/ When asked for his top three midfielders on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Lampard noted: "Steven Gerrard, in the Premier League. He had everything. If you got him on his day, you can almost forget about it because he was so powerful. Particularly when you used to go up to Anfield, you knew whether Stevie was on his game in the first three minutes because he'd crash through someone. But he had everything... other than the aggressive side, obviously he had top ability. He was a great midfield player." Frank Lampard on Steven Gerrard on Monday Night football(7th March 2017): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4289386/Lampard-Gerrard-best-midfielder-played-against-PL.html Jamie Carragher interviews Frank Lampard and asks him who's his toughest opponent and Lampard replies: "Steven Gerrard, domestically. He had everything. He'd deal with you defensively and hurt you going forward. In Europe it was Andres Iniesta and Xavi. As a combination, you couldn't get the ball off them." Frank Lampard on Steven Gerrard (27th Jaunuary 2017): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4164114/JAMIE-CARRAGHER-INTERVIEWS-CHELSEA-HERO-FRANK-LAMPARD.html "I was glad that the Chelsea fans applauded Gerrard. It was just for a few seconds, but it did show that as fans we can look beyond our club rivalries when necessary. I don’t think it ever happened to me. Maybe when I got substituted at my testimonial! As a season-ticket holder in the Stretford End, I would have applauded Steven off the pitch – albeit just the once. There would have been a few in the seats around me who would object. But just as many who would have done the same." Paul Scholes on Steven Gerrard's final game at Stamford Bridge (14th May 2015): http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/paul-scholes-i-hope-that-manchester-united-fans-would-have-applauded-steven-gerrard-too-10251278.html "'It's difficult for me, as a United fan, to say it's a pity that Gerrard has never won the league. It is easier to say he deserves to have a league winners' medal,' Paul Scholes on Steven Gerrard (3rd January 2015): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2895340/Paul-Scholes-time-Steven-Gerrard-leave-Liverpool-gone-Chelsea-2005-Champions-League-win-deserves-league-title.html "I have played alongside some of the greatest footballers of my generation, but there is only one ex-team-mate I would rate higher than Steven Gerrard. The biggest compliment I can give him is he is second only to Zinedine Zidane in terms of his world-class status." Michael Owen on Steven Gerrard (14th February 2014): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/10639711/The-biggest-compliment-I-can-pay-Liverpools-Steven-Gerrard-is-to-rate-him-second-only-to-Zinedine-Zidane.html "Cristiano is a great player. But Steven Gerrard is, for me, one of the very best in the world. For the job he performs, for me, he is one of the greatest." Ronaldhinho on Steven Gerrard (February 2007): http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/ronaldinho-gerrard-better-man-utds-ronaldo-134399 "I would say he is the hardest player to play against in midfield because he's got everything. He is a very complete midfield player. He's the stand-out one in England. Maybe when we play Arsenal and they are sometimes on top form, you could pick one of their players but Gerrard is the main one for me. Stevie is one of the best players in the England team and probably in the world to be honest, so it's always nice to play with great players and against them as well." Frank Lampard on Steven Gerrard (4th October 2009): http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/frank-lampard-liverpool-are-toughest-and-steven-1671490 "He was a fantastic player who had the qualities that every midfielder dreams of. He scored goals, he could pass. He had commitment and motivation." Arsene Wenger on Steven Gerrard (25th November 2015): http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/arsenal-boss-arsene-wenger-admits-12230744 “Steven Gerrard is for sure one of my favourite enemies and for sure my dear enemy, the one who made me a better manager. To stop him or try to stop him has been very, very difficult. I lost against him, I won, I drew, I was happy. I am very sad it’s the last day against him. He’s had an amazing career with his (own) people. He refused to play in other big clubs, other big leagues to play only for Liverpool and this is a feeling that stays together." Jose Mourinho on Steven Gerrard (8th May 2015): http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/jose-mourinho-admits-tried-sign-5661847 “We beat Real Madrid 4-0 at Anfield and Raul came up and asked if he’d go to Real Madrid in that summer, so that is how strong the feeling was from Real Madrid – the actual captain asking if he’d sign! We used get that type of thing plenty of times!" Liverpool FC Jamie Carragher on Steven Gerrard, (24th November 2016): http://talksport.com/football/steven-gerrard-retires-football-real-madrid-legend-raul-tried-bring-liverpool-legend "Steven Gerrard is undoubtedly a world class player and I wish he'd played for United. I went on a tapping-up mission at Euro 2004 when I knew Chelsea were trying to take advantage of Liverpool being in turmoil. 'Come play for United,’ I said one day to Steven when we were in the hotel. 'The fans will take to you in no time.' He just laughed, and said: 'I’ll do it if you go to Anfield.'" Manchester United FC legend Gary Neville on tapping up Steven Gerrard. Quote from Gary Neville's Autobiography RED. (August 2011) Read more at http://talksport.com/magazine/features/2011-08-28/gary-nevilles-autiobiography-10-quotes#tmDtvFluPRFuCxy8.99”

“"What makes him so good? Well, there is nothing he can't do. He is clever. He sees the game quicker than anyone else. He sees the picture. He can play the ball first time round corners that aren't even there. He has got intelligence. He has got physical attributes. He can bomb past people. He is quick. He is a proper, powerful athlete. Give him a header, he will score. He can play in behind the front man. He can get the ball off the back four and control the game from the quarterback position. He is just an immense all-round footballer. I have never seen anyone put it all together like him, never seen someone with so many qualities. I have played with a lot of talented players, but he was better than any of them."”

“I find it a disgrace that he didn’t win European Footballer of the Year in 2005 after Istanbul. For me, he is one of the best ever. 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.”

“Yes of course [Gerrard’s one of the best I’ve faced]. For long periods when Liverpool were in trouble, everyone looked to Gerrard and nine out of 10 times he did it. He’s a huge player and what I liked is that he’s shown great loyalty through his whole career to play for Liverpool. It’s very difficult to see how because he had the calibre to play for any big club but he stayed loyal and I have big respect for that. When you look at his qualities it’s hard to see what he didn’t have in the locker. He’s quick, a good passer, good technique, could score goals, a dream midfielder. He had every single quality needed for midfield.”

“I'd put him in the top three, not just in England but in the world because he's a complete player. Would I have liked to play alongside him?" I think anyone would love to play with players of that calibre. He's a terrific player; he's a match-winner, so I think he's a player any club in the world would want. Gerrard is a complete player because he can play in every position and can do everything with a football at any time in a game. He's a player who scores goals, who builds the play, he's a sensational player."”

“"What I have always liked of Steven is that on the pitch he was very quiet, but was capable of inspiring all his teammates with great strength, not so much with words. His story is one of those stories to be told, one of those fairytales - just like it happened to me - to be narrated to your children and grandchildren. I still remember his face [in Istanbul] and the pain he was in from cramp but he was still going around tackling everybody. He put everything into it. For you guys, he was an example for all the others. I think Steven has been and is an absolutely complete player, because he had personality, technique, he could set the play and also defend, and he could score goals - penalty-kicks, free-kicks. So really a modern, complete player. I have a very clear memory of the final we lost in Istanbul, when he was helping his teammates with difficulties in defence. He started playing at the back and tackled every single player of Milan. But I must say that what probably made the difference was his example for all his teammates."”

“In an interview with Gazzetta TV. “I have an incredible admiration [for Gerrard]. When I was at Milan we tried signing him, but it was not possible."”

“But speaking about Liverpool and speaking about honouring the champions, this is my time to honour a champion. It is my time to honour Steve Gerrard.It is with opponents like him that I am the manager that I am, because I learn with my players and I learn with my best opponents. I tried to bring him to Chelsea, I tried to bring him to Inter (Milan), I tried to bring him to Real Madrid but he was always a dear enemy."”

“Lampard was asked, "Who was your best opponent in the Premier league, directly in midfield?" Lampard's answer: "Steven Gerrard. I think over the period of my career playing against Stevie [Gerrard] in those big games against Liverpool when he was on top of his game. You knew he was a force and we had great battles, I had a lot of respect for him as a player even though we had those rivalries. I think as you get older it is much easier to have a view on it rather than that view when you’re playing each other and you’re real rivals. I have to give Stevie complete respect for as a midfield player.””

“'For me Gerrard can do everything and that's the reason I'd say he was the best of the three if I had to split them ahead of Scholes and Lampard in that order. They are all top professionals and each brought different attributes and strengths but Gerrard can tackle, defend, score goals, head it, make a telling precision pass, dictate the tempo and is a powerful runner. He has a bit more to his game."”

“On a BBC documentary, Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney was asked who was the best player he played with for England. “I’d have to say Stevie [was the best]. For me he’s an incredible player, an incredible leader. He helped me a lot during my early days with England.””

“"For me, it's not about Gattuso against Gerrard, despite what he said. For me, Gerrard is the best player in England. He is a technical player, who plays very hard and with his heart. He is a legend for his club and the best player they've got. I have more respect for him because I remember that final in Istanbul. We had won it but then he played a great game and changed everything. I watched him against Chelsea on Tuesday and he was amazing, unbelievable. I still say I have respect for him and like the way he plays. I am looking forward to playing him again and looking him in the eye before it starts. This will be a very important game for us both.”

““Gerrard will fit in with any club in the world. He’s one of the players in the world that have all what it takes to play for Real Madrid. I want to urge Gerrard to join Real Madrid. If you don’t play for Real Madrid you always feel that something is missing. There is nothing better than wearing Real Madrid’s jersey. This is a big opportunity for Gerrard. I’m not talking money wise, but victories wise. I’m sure that Gerrard has alot of respect towards Mourinho. Steven signing for Real Madrid will be perfect for him.””

“Asked who was the toughest English opponent he had faced over the years, Pirlo said, “That night in Istanbul, Liverpool’s fight back was centralized on Steven Gerrard. He was their leader, their star player, their man who made it happen. Carlo tried to sign Gerrard for Milan so we could play together, but he had no interest in leaving Liverpool,” Pirlo, 36, told ShortList magazine. “We could have played together, but now in MLS we will be playing against each other, and I will look forward to that"”

““I have said in the past that at his peak he was the best in the world. I think it was the summer of 2004 I was having a conversation with Florentino (Perez) and I told him I wanted him to partner me in midfield for Madrid. I know the club tried twice but he wouldn’t leave Liverpool. Not many players turn down Real Madrid but I think that tells you a lot about the loyalty of the man.””

“‘He is physically and technically precocious. He’s got a good engine and remarkable energy. He reads the game and he passes quickly. I would hate to think Liverpool have someone as good as Roy Keane."”

“"The fans, they look only for forwards, always a forward," Pele told Sky Sports News. "Somebody who scores. "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."”

“‘He has had a great career winning many things - but it would be a big shame for him if he was never to win the league with Liverpool’. ‘For everything that he has given - he deserves a league title.’ ‘I don't think that is any secret that Real Madrid and Chelsea had big interest in him and that is just the teams the media knew about. ‘He could have played for any team in Europe - but he turned them down. That sort of loyalty should be rewarded with a title.’ ‘England have probably produced the two best midfield players of the last 20 years in Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes,’ ‘There was a point when Gerrard was the best midfield player in the world. It is unusual to get complete midfield players who can do everything, but that is what he was. ‘His legs are not going to be what they were five or six years ago - but his presence and leadership are invaluable for Liverpool.’”

“He is, in my opinion, the best midfielder in the world, and has a track record for delivering on the big occasions.”

“He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but Gerrard does more.”

“"Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, Lionel Messi or Xavi from Barcelona deserved the award more. "Ronaldo is only focused on finishing in front of goal. "I love Gerrard's qualities as a player and a leader. Technically and tactically he is the best. His passion is enormous, he means as much for a great team as George Best. "He is a player who fans can identify themselves with and a man who carries the love for his club on his club badge. There is not another player in the world who combines all those qualities. I like him so much more than Ronaldo."”

“He is undoubtedly one of the best midfield players in the world. Any top club would want him in their side.”

““He’s been a reference to all his team-mates throughout the years and is now in history for such a brilliant career at his club for all his life.””