Former Liverpool attacker Michael Owen has explained the reason why Steven Gerrard was superior to fellow England midfielders Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard.
Gerrard and Owen were teammates at Liverpool during the early 2000s often linking up to devastating effect in the attack, until the latter left to join Real Madrid in 2004. But Owen also played alongside Scholes and Lampard for England as the duo were regarded as some of the best midfielders of their generation.
In a recent chat with Jamie Carragher on his podcast, the 40-year-old admitted that Gerrard was the best among the trio giving his verdict on about the comparison.
Owen started by praising Scholes when the two played together during their time at Manchester United stating that the United star could pass the ball like no other in training but Gerrard’s physical attributes overpowered Scholes, “If you watch Scholesy in training, your tongue is hanging out. He can give you the eyes, you can think he’s heading it that way and he’ll almost do a reverse spinner off the other side of his head. He can drop a ball on a sixpence. He is just total and utter genius. But there’s that and there are the actual practicalities of playing on a big pitch where you need size, strength, substance, running ability, all these things. And if you play one v one, you against you, Stevie against any of the names that you’ve mentioned, I think he would eat them for dinner. Someone like Scholesy obviously had different attributes. I mean, unbelievable, the way he changed his game from being a bombing midfielder to a quarterback. Total genius.”
He then concluded by revealing that Lampard was a better goalscorer but Owen would still prefer playing alongside Gerrard as the 39-year-old who scored in the Champions League final, FA Cup final, League Cup final and UEFA Cup final, “Frank Lampard, who can question his goalscoring and how he got every ounce out of his ability? But to me, Stevie’s on a different level than anything I’ve seen or played with and as you’ve said, I’m not blowing smoke up my ****, 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.”
