Steven Gerrard earns high praise from United legend Wayne Rooney | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has weighed in on one of the Premier League era’s longest-running arguments by naming Steven Gerrard as the competition’s most complete midfielder.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney placed the Liverpool icon above several other elite names when he was asked which midfielders had impressed him most during his career.

This judgement stands out given the rivalry between United and Liverpool during the former England international’s years at Old Trafford.

Rooney’s midfield verdict

Wayne Rooney said there were five individuals who, for him, represented the gold standard for complete midfield players in the Premier League.

His shortlist featured Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Patrick Vieira and Frank Lampard, a group that reflects both the quality of his team-mates and the calibre of opponents he faced.

However, even with Scholes and Carrick included, Rooney made it clear that Gerrard was his top choice. “The [most] complete midfield player out of them all, it has to be Gerrard,” he remarked.

Rooney went further to set out why he rated the Liverpool legend so highly. In his view, Gerrard combined technique, power, versatility and the capacity to influence matches in several different ways.

“He could do everything,” Rooney observed. “He could tackle, he could shoot, he could dictate games, he could hit long passes.”

Respect despite fierce rivalry

United’s all-time leading goalscorer also pointed to Gerrard’s partnership era with Fernando Torres at Liverpool, describing a spell in which the midfielder became “more of the assist man” for the Spaniard while still noting that “he had everything.”

This left a clear impression on Rooney, who admitted: “I would’ve loved to have seen him at United.”

The ex-Everton ace was also asked whether his selection might be viewed as controversial because Gerrard is such a towering Liverpool figure. He did not soften his stance.

Rooney insisted: “You have to be respectful.”

Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images

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