Steven Gerrard and Roy Keane were bitter rivals on the pitch, but the former Liverpool captain has a lot of respect for him regardless of their history.
Hearing Steven Gerrard talk positively about a Manchester United legend will always feel a little strange, considering the hatred which exists between their old clubs. This is particularly true of Roy Keane, who had a few choice words to say about Gerrard during his playing career.
Keane once claimed he was better than Gerrard when he was facing criticism due to a perceived drop-off in his performances.
He told Sky Sports: “Without a doubt, I feel I can compete with players like Gerrard and Vieira. When I feel I can’t do that, then I’ll know.
“The manager was very complimentary about Gerrard and there’s no doubt he is a very good player – but I still feel I am better than him and that’s not being big-headed.
“You look at Gerrard last season and he didn’t kick a ball for the first three-and-a-half months.”
Gerrard’s attitude towards Keane is in stark contrast to the way the ex-United midfielder used to view the former Liverpool captain.
During a quick-fire interview, Gerrard named Keane as the greatest Premier League midfielder of all-time.
The man who was recently linked with the managerial position at Rangers has since doubled down on his stance, declaring that there is not many better than Roy Keane.
He told talkSPORT: “I think football’s in a place where you get more praise and respect now if you’re a moments player. But if you look at the detail of a performance in and out of possession, leadership, all the components, blah blah blah. There’s not many better than Roy Keane.”
Gerrard went on to describe all the components Keane possessed and even describe his old enemy as ‘underrated’.
“He was always in the right position,” Gerrard continued. “He was tough, he could run past you, he could run off you, he could recover and get back.
“His short game was underrated in my opinion because he could break lines with his passing, he could change the play, he scored a lot of important goals at key times. I think he had all the components.
“That’s how I judge a midfielder. I judge a midfielder on everything.”
Roy Keane went on to leave Manchester United in 2005 at a time when Gerrard was just hitting his the prime stages of his career.
