Best Midfielder

Liverpoolfc.tv > Paul Tomkins: It is hard to believe there has been a more complete player in the history of football - not just in England but in any part of the world - than Steven Gerrard.

" Frank Lampard is an excellent all-round midfielder, but there's not one area of his game where he outranks Gerrard; Lampard only gets the attacking midfield role for England because, unlike Gerrard, he can't excel in other positions. Despite their canniness, neither Patrick Vieira nor Roy Keane could pass the ball 60-yards like Gerrard, or shoot so dangerously from 30.

Gerrard has a bit of everything; he is like a celestial experiment conducted by Messrs. Shankly and Paisley to create the ultimate modern footballer: a hybrid of Souness, McDermott, Dalglish, Lawrenson, Barnes, with a little bit (if not all) of the magic of each.

There have been a handful of better passers of a football in world football, but none could also tackle like Gerrard. There have been better tacklers, but none who could also pass over long distances like the current captain.

There have been taller players who were better in the air, fractionally quicker players, tougher players, more skillful players; there have been players (but not many) with a better shot; some players may have had better levels of stamina, and covered more ground, although it's hard to think who. Better crossers of the ball have graced the game, but again, they are scarce. "

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