Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has spoken highly of Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney. The two Englishmen shared the pitch 69 times for the Three Lions, contributing seven goals together.
In club football, however, the two of them were always on opposing sides of the pitch. Rooney rose through the ranks at Everton and faced Gerrard regularly in the Merseyside derby.
Their rivalry took a new turn after Wazza arrived at the Theatre of Dreams in the summer of 2004. Rooney and Gerrard would face each other a total of 23 times in club football, with the United man coming out on top on 12 occasions, while the Liverpool icon registered seven wins.
Over the years, Rooney left a lasting impression on his countryman, and Gerrard has now honoured his former England team-mate with the ultimate tribute.
Gerrard hails Rooney
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, Gerrard was asked to name the best player he has shared the pitch with for England. Despite having rubbed shoulders with some legendary names like Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard on the international stage, the Liverpool icon chose Rooney.
Gerrard said: “Rooney. Rooney is the best player I played with for England. He [had] everything — monster of a footballer.”
Rooney spent 13 seasons at Old Trafford, winning everything on offer, including the Premier League and the Champions League. He registered 253 goals and 143 assists in 559 appearances across competitions for United in his career, and is the club’s record goalscorer.
Wayne Rooney: Stats By Club
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 559 | 253 | 142 | 98 | 1 | 44,787' |
| Everton FC | 117 | 28 | 8 | 26 | 1 | 7,895' |
| D.C. United | 52 | 25 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 4,397' |
| Derby County | 35 | 7 | 3 | 3 | - | 2,987' |
| Manchester United U21 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 61' |
| Total | 764 | 313 | 167 | 133 | 4 | 60.127' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
Why it never worked out with Scholes and Lampard
Gerrard went on to outline why a midfield trident of him, Scholes and Lampard, despite all the talent, never got going for England. He said: “Well, we’re all similar. Scholes is fantastic at controlling a game and tempo, knowing when to quicken it up and knowing when to switch the play and [he’s] a phenomenal natural footballer.”
“Frank’s a runner into the box, who can get a lot of goals. I was probably a little bit of an all-rounder type midfielder, but we’re all different.”
“We all had different attributes, but I don’t think [those] three can play together. I wouldn’t pick [those] three in a three-man midfield.”
“No, I think that two out of us three need the right person behind us, I would say, to go and do it. I think if any, it [will] probably be Scholes. He could do it in a Pirlo style or a Steven Davis type in a technical way.”
“But, in terms of like a specialist number six for how I like to play, I’d probably prefer a different type of midfielder in there, like a Carrick or a Hargreaves, who are nearly natural at doing that.”
Final Thoughts
Rooney is one of the finest players to have donned the United shirt in the club’s history. Such was the English forward’s prowess that he even turned his rivals into fans, and it is no wonder that the Old Trafford faithful remember him fondly to this day.
Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images
