Who Is Steven Gerrard’s Best Ever Teammate? Former Liverpool Captain Snubs Alonso And Torres In Tough Pick
Written By Jacobs Dunga
The Aston Villa coach had a seventeen year playing career at Merseyside playing alongside some of the world’s best stars.
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Steven Gerrard has named the best player he ever shared a dressing room with during his illustrious playing career.
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The 41 year old joined Liverpool in 1989 as a nine year old and went on to graduate to the senior team in 1998 as an eighteen year old.
Gerrard played seventeen years in the Liverpool first team where he went on to captain before moving to LA Galaxy in the USA for a season after which he hung up his boots.
Gerrard played alongside notable stars such as Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Luis Garcia, Javier Mascherano, Jamie Carragher and Emile Heskey but the former England international has named Luis Suarez as the best of them all.
Gerrard was teammate with Suarez for just three seasons and a half following the arrival of the Uruguayan from Ajax on the back of Fernando Torres’ £50m move to Chelsea.
Gerrard was reflecting on his playing career with ex England teammate Gary Neville as part of the Overlap series and when the latter asked who is most gifted teammate was, the former captain was plain and direct in his choice.
“I get asked this question all the time. They’re both phenomenal but I’d say Suarez just because he had everything,” Gerrard said. “I played with some top players – Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Torres – but Suarez was just different. No matter who you were playing you just had a feeling that he was going to win you the game, every game.”
Suarez scored 82 goals in 133 appearances across all competitions in his three and a half seasons at the club and Gerrard reflected on what it was like to have him on his team.
“Within the first session, second session it was almost like he trained the way he played,’ the former Liverpool skipper claimed.
“I remember walking off one of the main sessions that we’ve done with Carra [Jamie Carragher] and me and Carra are like oh my god this fella’s got bundles, plenty. I remember him saying to me, ‘I don’t want to play against him every day,’ he was that intense in training.
“He could embarrass you, even with stuff that I don’t even think he knew he was doing. He was a ricochet merchant, he’d run over you, he’d dominate you, he’d bully you.”
The now Atletico Madrid striker would later depart Anfield at the end of the 2013/2014 season after a fall out with coach Brendan Rodgers which Gerrard described as an impossibility for him to be there for him at all times.
“When he had the situation with Brendan Rodgers, I tried to be a bit of a go between but there’s certain situations where you’d have to back away and let him and his people deal with it themselves, not that I didn’t want to help him but sometimes the situation is bigger than it was.”
Meanwhile…
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes has rebuffed claims linking him with a move to Spanish giants FC Barcelona in the summer.
The Brazilian is having a stellar season in just his second spell with the Gunners and his fine displays have seen him being linked to the Camp Nou outfit.
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The 24 year old has however expressed his happiness with his stay at the Emirates and does not see himself away from the North London club.
Gabriel is so in love with Arsenal’s project headed by Mikel Arteta and is convinced for the future.
“Well in my first season I certainly learnt a lot, the Brazilian told Premier League predictions. “It’s been a real challenge here and I am more and more settled every day. I feel better and better with each passing game.
“At the same time, we know we all can’t be perfect in every match. We do make mistakes. But I feel good, I feel at home at Arsenal. It’s a great squad to be a part of and together I am sure we can achieve a lot. I am very happy here.”
Arsenal are currently fifth on the log but Gabriel believes a top four place isn’t out of reach. “Reaching the top four is our aim, but we know how tough it will be,” the defender added. “It’s a big challenge but I do believe we can get there. We are working hard and it’s the target we want to achieve. We have to stick together. We need to be focused to get good results.”
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