Steven Gerrard puts an end to the Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard debate with a surprising choice for the best midfielder in the Premier League.
Steven Gerrard shared his thoughts on the long-running debate between him, Paul Scholes, and Frank Lampard while doing a blind ranking of the Premier League’s best midfielders for SPORTbible.
Back in the 2000s, England had a ‘Golden Generation’ with a midfield many people consider one of the greatest ever. It included Scholes from Manchester United, Lampard from Chelsea, and Gerrard from Liverpool.
Since they played for rival teams, the question of who was the best among them has always been a hot topic. Now, Gerrard has finally given his answer.
Even though they never won a major trophy together with England, all three have had amazing careers. Scholes won 11 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, and three FA Cups with United. Lampard took home three Premier League titles, a Champions League, a Europa League, and four FA Cups with Chelsea. Gerrard famously won one UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, three League Cups, and the unforgettable 2005 Champions League with Liverpool, though he never won a Premier League title.
It’s no wonder people find it hard to pick between them. When Gerrard was asked to blindly rank his top 10 Premier League midfielders, he made some interesting choices.
When Scholes came up, Gerrard wasn’t overly impressed and placed him seventh, behind Kevin De Bruyne (fifth) and Cesc Fabregas (sixth), but just ahead of Rodri in ninth. Lampard was next and Gerrard confidently put him fourth, above Scholes, Fabregas, and De Bruyne.
Finally, when it came to himself, Gerrard gave himself second place. Some might think Gerrard picked himself because of the ranking setup, but he admitted he really wished he could’ve put himself first.
However, the top spot went to Roy Keane, whom Gerrard picked early with his sixth choice. This surprised some since Keane played for Manchester United, Liverpool’s biggest rival. But Gerrard explained why Keane deserved number one.
“I’ve always been a big fan,” Gerrard told SPORTbible. “I watched him a lot. He’s the kind of player I’d have loved to play alongside. I think we’d have made a good team. I learned a lot from him, even though he was a United player, and I followed him for Ireland too. Big fan.”
Here’s the full ranking:
10. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
9. Rodri (Manchester City)
8. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
7. Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
6. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
5. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
4. Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
3. Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)
2. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
1. Roy Keane (Manchester United)
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