Frank Lampard has revealed that Steven Gerrard is the toughest midfield opponent he has ever faced in the Premier League. The Englishman signed for Chelsea in 2001 and won the English league title three times for the Blues. His performances in the 2004/05 season meant he was awarded the Premier League Player of the Season and was named in the FIFPRO World 11 alongside Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele in midfield.
He also won the FA Cup four times and two European trophies, including the UEFA Champions League in 2012. As a result, Lampard came up against some of the best footballers on the planet. When asked about the toughest midfielder he ever competed against in the English top flight on Monday Night Football in 2015, he went with Liverpool's former captain.
Lampard Thinks Gerrard Was The Best
They enjoyed many midfield battles in the mid-2000s
Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (R) in action against Chelsea's Frank Lampard
Lampard faced some of the greatest football players of all time during his career. He named Lionel Messi as the best player he has ever faced, as he came up against the Argentinian on multiple occasions in the Champions League. When asked about who he thought was the best midfield player he played against while he was at Chelsea on Monday Night Football Q&A in 2015, he said:
"Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Scholes, Patrick Vieira. I was young when I played Patrick and Roy Keane, they bossed me. I really admired them when I was coming through. But I think over the period of my career, playing against Stevie, you knew when he was on top of his game he was a force. We had great battles and I really respect him as a player."
Lampard's career overlapped with Gerrard's, and he played against Liverpool 47 times for West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester City between 1997 and 2015. The "great battles" Lampard referred to in 2015 is undoubtedly in reference to the Champions League clashes between Chelsea and Liverpool in the 2000s.
They played against each other in the semi-finals of the competition in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Liverpool were victorious in the first two ties, while the Blues got revenge in 2008 as Lampard and Didier Drogba booked their place in the final for the first time in the club's history.
Lampard and Gerrard played two finals against each other. The first of these was in February 2005 in the League Cup. Gerrard scored an own goal in the 79th minute to send the match to extra time, and the Blues went on to win 3-2, thanks to goals from Drogba and Mateja Kezman. Chelsea were successful again in the FA Cup final in 2012, beating Kenny Dalglish's side 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (R) in action against Chelsea's Frank Lampard Related
Lampard & Gerrard agree on best stadium
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have both played in all the biggest and most iconic stadiums the Premier League has to offer. From Old Trafford to Highbury, the Liverpool and Chelsea icons made several trips to the most intimidating grounds in the country. Which did they both say was the best stadium to travel to? Do you agree with them?
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 18/12/24.