Manchester United legend Paul Scholes didn’t think twice when naming the best player to ever wear the Liverpool shirt.
Famously a part of the ‘Class of 92’, Scholes played his entire career at Liverpool rivals Manchester United until his retirement in 2013. In a career littered with honours, the former England international made 718 appearances for the Red Devils, placing him third on the club’s all-time list.
The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is one of the most iconic in English football, rooted in over a century of competition both on and off the pitch. With a combined 40 league titles between them, the two clubs represent the pinnacle of English football success.
Throughout Scholes’s playing career it was United that were the dominant force, winning 11 Premier League titles between 1996 and 2013, leaving Liverpool players and fans watching on wanting.
During a quick-fire interview with TNT Sports, Scholes was asked to name the greatest player to ever represent Liverpool and his response was instant.
“Steven Gerrard”
Liverpool’s rich history is woven with legends the silky touch of Kenny Dalglish, the audacious brilliance of Luis Suárez, and the modern-day heroics of Mohamed Salah, so to get the nod from a iconic rival holds serious weight. Scholes, one of the most decorated and respected midfielders in the game’s history, recognises greatness when he sees it.
Primarily rivals, Scholes’s knows Gerrard incredibly well from their battles on the pitch but also as teammates for England. The duo made 25 appearances together for the Three Lions and both were part of squads for European Champions in 2000 and 2004, and World Cup 2002.
Whilst Scholes’s career speaks for itself, Gerrard’s could be seen a curious paradox. The former Reds captain never lifted the Premier League and Liverpool weren’t a dominant domestic force, but he is revered like few others and his influence went far beyond silverware.
Gerrard stood out in an era stacked with elite English midfielders — the so-called ‘Golden Generation’. Many debate ‘who is better’ between Scholes and Gerrard, but in the context of Liverpool Paul Scholes gives the flowers to his rival.
