Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard has opened up about the biggest regrets of his career and has named the one player he wishes he could have shared a pitch with.
Former club captain Gerrard made over 700 appearances for the Reds and is widely considered one of the greatest players in the club’s history, but later admitted he may have called time on his playing days at Anfield too soon.
The former Liverpool captain left the club in the summer of 2015 after 17 years in the senior squad and 26 years in total, having joined as a youth player. He departed just months before Jürgen Klopp’s arrival, with the Reds finishing sixth in his final season under Brendan Rodgers.
Looking back, Gerrard expressed regret about not staying longer. “I should have maybe played on for one more year. I regret not doing the extra year just because I miss playing so much,” he admitted.
In a YouTube clip, Gerrard was asked by TNT Sports which current Liverpool player he wishes he had the chance to play alongside. His answer was immediate — Mohamed Salah.
Although Salah arrived at Anfield two seasons after Gerrard left, their names are etched side-by-side in club folklore. Gerrard scored 186 goals in 710 games for Liverpool; Salah has netted 245 in just over 330 appearances — an astonishing rate that places him among the most lethal attackers in Premier League history.
Gerrard has long admired Salah, often praising his professionalism, dedication, and relentless pursuit of greatness.
“I’m not surprised by how long Mo has maintained this level. He’s obsessed with the game,” Gerrard said in a previous interview. “You see his routines, his body shape, the way he lives. He wants to break records. He wants to be remembered as the best.”
The former skipper even predicted that Salah will continue delivering for Liverpool for years to come, stating “I still think we’ll get a couple more top seasons out of him. He’s a machine.”
Salah recently capped off another record-breaking season by being named Premier League Player of the Season and 2025 Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year, securing the latter with 90 per cent of the vote after contributing a staggering 47 goals and assists.
Comparisons between the two are inevitable. Gerrard played 710 games, scored 186 goals, and lifted the Champions League, FA Cup, and multiple League Cups. Salah, in fewer than half as many appearances, has already scored over 240 goals, won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Club World Cup and is now a two time Premier League Champion and Player of the Season.
Whether you lean toward the home grown hero or the Egyptian king, both players have left an indelible mark on Anfield. And as Gerrard so perfectly put it, Salah is a player fans will only grow to appreciate more once his time at Liverpool comes to an end.
