Liverpool are unquestionably one of the top sides in world football right now, but the last 20 years haven’t been too bad when it comes to top-level talent.
Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard enjoyed a fruitful partnership
Steven Gerrard was the club’s talisman for 17 years after making the breakthrough from the youth ranks into the first-team fold at Anfield.
In that time he won three League Cups, two FA Cups, a UEFA Cup and, of course, a Champions League title after inspiring the Reds to glory against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005.
During that career, Gerrard played with some truly world class teammates, but for the now-Aston Villa boss there’s one man who stands above the rest, and that’s Luis Suarez.
Suarez was a constant thorn in the paw of Premier League defences
In three and a half years, the Uruguayan striker established himself as one of the most prolific attackers in world football, as well as being a constant nuisance for defenders within the Premier League.
Gary Neville spoke to Gerrard in the latest edition of The Overlap and asked the Liverpool great to choose between Suarez and another of his former partners, Fernando Torres.
He was also asked about his favourite current Premier League players, revealing an answer that may surprise Manchester United and Man City fans, and was asked what Class of 92 member he would ‘most like to slap’.
On the topic of his Liverpool teammates, though – Gerrard and Torres enjoyed a prolific relationship on the pitch, but for the ex-midfielder it was an easy answer when asked to pick the best player he starred alongside at Anfield.
Gerrard and Torres is one of the Premier League’s all-great partnerships, but the Liverpool great has admitted Suarez was his best-ever teammate
“I get asked this question all the time,” he said.
“They’re both phenomenal, but I’d say Suarez because he had everything. How long have you got to describe him?”
Asked if he was the best player he played with at Liverpool, Gerrard responded: “Yeah, definitely. I played with some top players, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, but Suarez was just different.
“You just felt that whoever you were playing, you had a feeling that he was going to win you the game, every game. It didn’t matter who it was.
“You knew from the first session or second session, it almost like he trained the way that he played.
“I remember walking off one of the main sessions that we did with Carra and he was saying ‘this fella has got bundles, I don’t want to play against him every day in training’. He was that intense in training.
Suarez and Gerrard came so close to winning a Premier League title together
“He could embarrass you, even with stuff that I don’t think that he knew he was doing. He was a ricochet merchant, he would run over you, he’d dominate you and bully you.”
Gerrard was then asked who are the current Premier League stars he most wishes he played alongside during his career.
Of course, a number of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool heroes featured heavily in his selection.
But there was a surprise place for two Manchester-based stars.
Asked about the players he’d most like to have played with Gerrard said: “Mo Salah.
Gerrard was also full of praise of Salah
Liverpool legend Gerrard says he’d have loved to play alongside De Bruyne and Fernandes, despite the club rivalries
“Bruno Fernandes… you might agree with that,” he told Neville. “I really like him.
“Kevin De Bruyne, for sure, 100 per cent. He’s one of the best in the world.
“Defensively, I think that Virgil [van Dijk] is just out of this world.”
source: talksport.com
