Steven Gerrard names Man United legend as best Premier League midfielder originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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might not have the best midfielder in the current era, but Steven Gerrard believes a former player would top names like Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo.
The legend spoke with Rio Ferdinand on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, and discussed the current era of football and how it has changed from his era of the Premier League.
Gerrard described the difference in the generations of football, saying, ” I’m not sure I could be respected as well as I got respected during my career now in today’s game. I think it’s changed, it’s more a technical game, more tactical.
“The rules of the game have moved and evolved. Tackling, leaving a stamp, physicality, it’s a more friendlier atmosphere, it’s a more safer game.
“I like football the generation before, that’s me, but that’s the generation I played in. It’s a little bit more technical now, you can get booked and go off a football pitch for nothing.”
Gerrard admitted he wasn’t sure if he would qualify as one of the best, but he backed United legend and England teammate Paul Scholes to be the best Premier League midfielder.
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Why does Gerrard believe Scholes is one of the best?
Gerrard said, “I think now, hands down, he [Scholes] would be the best midfielder in the Premier League.
“Scholesy, for me, was very much an in-possession controller of a midfield controller of a game, can switch the play, you get close and he could pop it round you, he can play the outside of his foot, score important goals, make the last pass.
“My thing for me was, can you get him on the other side of the game, can you take him the other way, can you get physical with him, he’ll get booked against you. I’m not sure in today’s game you could leave one on Scholesy, for example.
“He would have everyone terrorised in the Premier League. I’m telling you right now, he would have everyone terrorised in the Premier League now.
“He’d be the best midfielder in the Premier League, hands down.”
Scholes played 716 games for Manchester United, scoring 155 goals and assisting 82 goals in that time.
